Highway 1 open following closures through the Lower Mainland
Posted May 29, 2023 6:40 am.
Last Updated May 29, 2023 8:54 pm.
It was a nightmare for commuters along Highway 1 Monday, as the major route saw three closures beginning early in the morning.
All three closures have since reopened.
A truck travelling along Highway 1 hit the No. 3 Road overpass in Abbotsford around 5:30 a.m., bursting into flames and shutting down the highway.
The truck, which images from the scene show to be a dump truck and trailer, has been doused by the Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service.
Highway 1 and the No. 3 overpass in Abbotsford were both closed earlier in the day but have since reopened.
Abbotsford Police Department Sgt. Paul Walker told CityNews that the collision may have happened because of a blown tire and it’s amazing the driver was not seriously hurt — the truck smashed into the support, the cab was destroyed and the vehicle then burst into flames.
Walker says the driver was able to get out of the cab quickly and is cooperating with investigators.
“You can imagine all the impact of a fully loaded truck traveling at speed and striking the overpass is significant. Sometimes we might not be able to see the damage on the surface,” Walker said.
Not one, but two overpasses
Meanwhile, a second truck hit an overpass along Highway 1 in Langley during the morning.
Just after 7 a.m., CityNews received calls from drivers who said a truck travelling west had hit the 264th Street overpass.
Caller Jim was driving past just after the collision happened, saying that while the truck had pulled over, there were chunks of concrete spread over the road, with a piece missing from the overpass.
“There’s probably less than a square foot taken out of the new repair that they’ve recently done there,” he said.
The highway was previously closed heading west but has since reopened.
Police incident closes highway in North Vancouver
An incident on the Mosquito Creek Trail saw Highway 1 in North Vancouver closed Monday afternoon.
North Vancouver RCMP is sharing few details and is asking motorists to avoid the area.
Const. Mansoor Sahak says there is no safety risk to the public.
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–With files from Emily Marsten and Sonia Aslam
