Tire blows, concrete dividers spill on LIE

A tractor trailer carrying concrete dividers on the Long Island Expressway blew a tire Wednesday, and the momentum of falling concrete caused the truck to hit the HOV barrier and the load to dump onto the road, sheriffs said.

The crash happened shortly after noon, as the truck, traveling westbound near Exit 52, Commack Road, hit the center barrier, according to a spokeswoman with the Suffolk County Sheriff's Office and the state Department of Transportation website, informny.com.

The spokeswoman said there were no injuries, but several of the concrete dividers on the truck had landed in traffic lanes as a result of the crash.

Personnel removed the dividers, which caused some of the expressway lanes to be closed for about 21/2 hours.

Traffic cameras initially showed all lanes of westbound traffic blocked at the exit and at least two eastbound lanes closed. Vehicles traveling west were backed up for several miles.

The traffic delays lasted until about 2:30 p.m., when only the eastbound HOV lane was closed to allow cleanup crews and police access, the state website said.

With Ellen Yan