A busy section of the south leg of Anthony Henday Drive finally reopened to traffic Tuesday morning, about 21 hours after a semi lost its trailer over an embankment and lost a “significant amount” of its load.
Edmonton police said the truck was driving on the exit ramp leading from westbound Anthony Henday to Calgary Trail when the trailer became loose on the curved ramp. It happened at around 1:40 p.m. Monday.
The driver stopped about a kilometre-and-a-half down the road and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services’ district chief said the driver didn’t realize he had lost his trailer.
“It looks like it was the hitching that failed or he made contact with the guardrail — we’re not sure which one,” Ed Pitman said.
The truck was hauling hot, liquid asphalt when it flipped. Pitman said the front of the trailer ripped out and about 70 per cent of the 37,500 litres of asphalt spilled down the embankment and into a provincial storm sewer system.
Pitman said the product is flammable but it didn’t catch fire.
“We’re very lucky, very lucky for sure.”
He said EPCOR confirmed that system is not connected to the City of Edmonton’s system.
The truck’s cab remained on the ramp and the driver was uninjured, police said.
The road was closed overnight and into Tuesday morning, when it finally reopened at around 10:25 a.m., according to Alberta 511.
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