Highway 401 has reopened in both directions in Pickering after being closed for more than 24 hours because a fuel tanker lost control and crashed into a centre median causing a large explosion and fire.
Both the westbound and eastbound lanes have reopened in the area to motorists, the Ontario Provincial Police said.
The westbound lanes reopened at Brock Road as traffic could be seen moving through that stretch early on Thursday morning. On the eastbound side, only the two left lanes were blocked for ongoing repairs by Thursday afternoon.
OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt noted that there are some lane restrictions on the eastbound 401, southbound on Brock Road on the overpass, and the ramp to 401 eastbound still remain blocked.
Police said their investigators have concluded their part in determining how the crash happened.
The Ministry of Transportation took a little bit more time determining if the road and infrastructure was safe to reopen to motorists as most of the damage occurred in the eastbound lanes.
“The investigation is now moving off the highway and will continue for some time,” Schmidt said in an update.
At around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a fuel tanker crashed into the wall separating both sides of the highway, sparking a massive fireball under the Brock Road bridge overpass.
The fuel tanker truck was hauling two trailers of “highly flammable fuel” and the trailers rolled over onto the westbound lanes which “ruptured the tanks creating a massive fireball in this area,” OPP Sgt Kerry Schmidt told reporters.
The trailers burst into flames killing two truck drivers. Schmidt said a passenger vehicle was also in the area and caught on fire but the driver and passenger inside were able to get out in time uninjured.
Schmidt said witnesses reported a large fire, hearing explosions, seeing a “mushroom cloud” of fire and smoke and watching a “whole night’s sky lighting up with fire.”
He also said the ministry was looking at catch basins which were blown out during the explosion and fire. The steel grates were seen just beside uncovered manholes. A badly burned light pole was also seen being removed from the area near the crash site.
The ministry was also inspecting the bridge as the crash happened near the overpass, the road surface and other infrastructure concerns.
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