Traffic Flowing Again After Morning Wreck In Durham

Authorities say a box truck ran into a jersey barrier at about 6:08 a.m. Tuesday at the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 at the Highway 54 interchange.

During the cleanup, crews had to shut down one eastbound lane of I-40. The wreck was not cleared until 9:48 a.m., which caused many motorists to question why it took so long.

"I think that's terrible. [It was] terribly slow because I understand they had the barriers and everything, but I think they should have moved the barriers out of the way and move the traffic to the side of the road where the accident was at, so they could keep the flow of traffic during rush hour," driver Speller Hall said.

"It was a big snarl, but honestly it didn't bother me because like I said we just had a place to go and we're going to get there when we can, but it was very heavy. It was very heavy," motorist Dale Geise said.

Durham authorities say the wreck took a long time to clear because it was too dangerous to move the truck and stop traffic at the same time. They also said the wreck required the use of a special tow truck to move it to safety.

The interchange has been part of some recent history. It was the same location where DOT officials placed stop signs on the ramps.

No charges have been filed in the truck accident. No one was injured in the accident. Authorities say excessive speed does not appear to have been a factor in the accident.