U.S. 1 Reopens After Tanker Truck Flips

Traffic was snarled on U.S. 1 for much of Friday afternoon after a grease tanker truck flipped, blocking several lanes near Highway 64.

Traffic Camera:

U.S. 1 At Beltline

The wreck happened around noon Friday. A tanker truck driver headed northbound said a van coming from the Tryon Road ramp merged right in front of him.

"I had to swerve to miss him," said truck driver Ricky Barbee. "There was another car beside me and I just went over."

Barbee said he hit the concrete barrier and landed on the southbound side.

"You could feel it going over," he said. "It hit the concrete barriers and flipped on its side."

Barbee wasn't hurt, but the mess it created took hours to clean up. The truck initially blocked all lanes of U.S. 1 near Highway 64. However, crews were able to open one lane of northbound U.S. 1 and one lane of southbound U.S. 1.

The road was reopened at 3:40 p.m., but delays were expected throughout the evening because so many vehicles were backed up on the road.

The tanker truck was carrying grease from restaurants and no hazardous materials leaked from the vehicle.