Residents of some Melbourne suburbs were told to remain in their homes on Friday morning after a truck rollover spilled 40 tonnes of chemical herbicide onto the freeway, prompting a hazardous fumes warnings.
The B-double crashed through a barrier on the Melrose Drive ramp off the Western Ring Road and careered down an embankment at Tullamarine at about 2am on Friday.
The chemical spill prompted stay-at-home orders to be issued for residents in Airport West, Gladstone Park, Gowanbrae, Strathmore Heights and Tullamarine.
By 11.30am on Friday, residents were being told the hazardous fumes did not pose a current threat, however they should continue to stay informed as the cleanup continues.
They were told to avoid the area, with specialist hazmat fire crews and the Environment Protection Authority expected to spend most of Friday clearing the freeway.
Because of the dangerous chemicals involved, it took rescue crews two hours to free the truck’s driver, a 41-year-old Mernda man, who was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
“We are trying to do our best to manage the incident but also keep those roads open,” assistant chief fire officer Craig Brownlie told the ABC on Friday.
“It’s a process of picking up the materials that have been spilt but also any of the dirt that the product may have gone into.”