Going south on Interstate 75? You may need to plan a different route

A portion of Interstate 75 is shut down in Charlotte County on Tuesday due to several crashes and a vehicle fire, according to Florida Highway Patrol officials.

Southbound lanes of the interstate are reopening near the 164 mile marker, north of Punta Gorda Airport. An update sent shortly after 10 a.m. noted the inside and center southbound lanes are open, according to FHP. The FHP live traffic map shows two crashes in the area, as well as the vehicle fire.

Before the lanes were reopened, southbound traffic was diverted off the highway at the 167 mile marker, according to FHP.

This story was originally published March 13, 2018 at 9:18 AM with the headline "Going south on Interstate 75? You may need to plan a different route."