After being closed for a number of hours, Port Hope’s eastbound lanes on Highway 401 are back in business and ready for the passage of motorists.

On Wednesday last week, a flatbed trucked flipped over on Highway 401 at around 5 in the evening. The transport was hauling pipes to Montreal, which scattered all over the surrounding areas after the flatbed flipped over.

The result was an ugly mess of metal tubes scattered all over the place. Each tube weighed around 2,000 pounds, and those that rolled off the road destroyed dozens of trees in their path. All eastbound lanes on Highway 401 were immediately closed following the accident.

Making things more complicated, the flatbed spilled over 300 liters of fuel, prompting Port Hope officials to call the Ministry of Environment for immediate clean-up measures. Fortunately, Port Hope firefighters were quick to arrive at the scene to contain the fuel and make sure it would not cause further damage.

As for the driver, he was lucky to walk away without any injuries after such a big accident.

Authorities on the site were amazed and thankful that no other motorists were killed or seriously hurt in the accident. They suspect that the flatbed’s cargo shifted, causing the mishap.