UPDATE: Highway 402 remains closed indefinitely

The highway remains closed after a collision that resulted in a tanker truck releasing acid onto the roadway.

A section of westbound Highway 402 remains closed for a chemical cleanup after a motor vehicle crash. Police say they don’t have a reopening time.

The highway was closed at 1 p.m. Wednesday from Centre Road in Strathroy to the Kerwood Road exit.

Motorists are being rerouted along Egremont Drive (Highway 22).

OPP Sgt. Ed Sanchuk told CTV News a passenger vehicle and a transport truck briefly collided, sending the truck carrying 45,000 litres of a corrosive chemical, into the ditch.

The chemical has been identified as monochloroacetic acid, commonly used in industrial applications.

According to Sanchuk Adelaide-Metcalfe firefighters are coordinating the clean-up.

CTV News has reached out to fire officials but we have yet to receive a response.

Sanchuk said it is his understanding an evacuation was not necessary given no homes are within a 150-metre radius.

The clean-up was delayed due to threatening weather which passed through the area overnight.

Sanchuk acknowledged the closure is an inconvenience to motorists, but he said it is necessary given the weather and the nature of the spill.

“It’s for public safety and for everyone’s health. Obviously, when individuals indicate that we have this type of product that’s on board the transport truck, we want to make sure that we take all the precautions necessary to keep the public safe.”

The Ministry of the Environment has been notified of the spill.