The E-470 Tollway Authority has dismissed nearly $547,000 in fees logged by thousands of motorists who were diverted to the pay-road after a burning tanker truck shut down Interstate 25 south of the city.

The Colorado Department of Transportation on Thursday said it had accepted the tollway’s plan to dismiss the fees.

The fire erupted on May 31 when a fuel tanker crashed into the median on northbound I-25. The highway was subsequently closed in both directions near the Denver Tech Center, causing delays across the region.

Traffic was diverted to E-470 while CDOT and others extinguished the fire and repaired the highway, which typically carries about 260,000 vehicles a day.

Tolls have been waived for a 16½-hour period between May 31 and June 1.

A press briefing from CDOT said use of the toll road during an unexpected disaster helped keep drivers safe and traffic moving. At the time, CDOT boss Shailen Bhatt said waiving tolls was “in the public interest, the right thing to do.”

Tens of thousands of cars snaked along jammed alternate routes as motorists tried to steer clear of the area. The tanker continued to burn for hours after the crash, and white firefighting foam surrounded the truck while flames flickered from the wreckage and melted the highway.

CDOT’s Transportation Commission is reimbursing the toll road $6,503 for its assistance.