Truck fire causes third 401 closure of the week

Truck fire closes 401 EB near Guelph From CTV Kitchener's Krista Simpson: For the third time this week, Highway 401 was closed in one direction during the morning.

For the third time this week, all traffic lanes of Highway 401 were closed in one direction between Waterloo Region and Toronto.

A transport truck caught fire in the eastbound lanes of the 401 between Highway 6 South and Guelph Line around 5 a.m.

The fire caused diesel fuel from the truck to spill across the highway.

Drivers were forced to use the left shoulder to get around the truck for nearly five hours. Two lanes reopened around 9:45 a.m., although one lane remained blocked.

In the meantime, the closure caused significant congestion on alternate routes – just as had happened Wednesday, when a dump truck and transport truck collided in the westbound lanes in Cambridge, and Tuesday, when a five-vehicle collision closed the 401 westbound near Guelph for nearly 10 hours.

No injuries were reported in Friday’s fire. Police say the driver pulled over as soon as they smelled smoke.