Three people were taken to the hospital after three cars caught fire inside the Ted Williams Tunnel, forcing on and off ramps to temporarily close during the Friday evening commute, state transportation officials said on X.
The ramps were reopened and the scene cleared by 9:40 pm, MassDOT said.
There were six people inside the vehicles when they caught fire, Boston fire said on X, formerly Twitter. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish two of the cars, the other car was a hybrid which took longer to extinguish.
The fires broke out on Interstate 93 north, forcing the closure of the eastbound ramp for high occupancy vehicles and the Frontage Road ramp, MassDOT said.
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The fire broke out at 4:15 p.m., Jacquelyn Goddard, a spokeswoman for MassDOT said in an email. The vehicle caught fire on ramp L, which leads to the Ted Williams Tunnel.
The second ramp was closed to support logistical needs for the ramp L fire incident, Goddard said.
Multiple Vehicle Fires in #Boston on I-93 NB. The HOV eastbound ramp and the Frontage Road ramp is currently CLOSED. Seek alternate route in the area and expect delays.
— Mass. Transportation (@MassDOT) May 24, 2024
Drivers were advised to seek alternate routes.
“The companies did a great job to get access to from both ends of the tunnel to get water & extinguish the fire,” Boston fire said.
A spokesman for Massachusetts State Police confirmed three vehicles caught fire and said that several people were treated for smoke inhalation.
MassDOT crews are going to evaluate any possible damage to roadway structures, State Police said.
Other vehicles were also impacted by the fire, Lieutenant Sean Quirk said via email.
Adam Sennott can be reached at adam.sennott@globe.com.