7:30 p.m. update: Skyway Bridge northbound lanes have reopened.
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A vehicle fire on the Skyway Bridge section of Interstate 275 has traffic backed up to the Manatee County rest area.
It was reported just after 6 p.m. Friday.
The Florida Highway Patrol said troopers responded to a single unit tanker truck carrying carbon dioxide which caught fire as a result of a mechanical issue.
It happened just prior to the exit for the Pinellas Rest Area. All lanes are closed while crews work to render the vehicle safe.
Drivers should avoid the area.
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