Truck fire on the A8 on the Nice bypass: diversions and traffic jams

This morning, shortly after 10 a.m., a heavy goods vehicle carrying polystyrene sheets caught fire on the A8 motorway, at km 197, near the Nice Nord interchange. Faced with the scale of the fire, the authorities quickly closed the highway, blocking traffic towards Cannes/Marseille by lowering the automatic barriers. Vehicles were forced to exit at Nice Center (n°55), while the entrance to Nice Nord (n°54) was also closed.

The firefighters intervened quickly to bring the fire under control, while the motorway services took care of removing the heavy goods vehicle from the roadway and cleaning the affected lanes. The polystyrene left burnt residue requiring intensive cleaning before allowing traffic to resume.

Traffic was finally able to resume on three lanes at 1 p.m. However, significant traffic jams persist. There were up to 6 km of traffic jams in the direction of Marseille and 7 km in the opposite direction, due to the curiosity of motorists.

Authorities are calling for patience and advising motorists to temporarily avoid the area if possible. The situation should resolve in the coming hours.