The smell of diesel and the frustration of drivers was thick on Highway 1 just inside Burnaby’s eastern border Monday.
A diesel spill from a dump truck on the Burnaby side of the North Road overpass at about noon quickly backed up traffic to the Port Mann Bridge.
The Burnaby Fire Department was called to the scene at 11:54 a.m. and arrived to find a dump truck with a trailer leaking fuel onto the highway in the westbound lanes.
Since the incident was right on the Burnaby/Coquitlam border, crews from both municipalities responded, cordoning off the area.
“Safety is our biggest concern, so Highway 1 was shut down initially westbound, with just one lane getting through,” deputy fire Chief Dave Samson said. “That’s obviously to protect anyone driving through, to make sure some cigarette doesn’t go flying out a window of a car or they’re getting it all on their tires.”
Less than 100 litres of diesel was spilled, according to Samson, who said a mechanical issue caused one of the truck’s saddle tanks to leak.
Firefighters worked to contain the fuel and make sure it didn’t run into environmentally sensitive areas, and Main Road Contracting, the province’s contractor for the highway, was on hand to absorb the spill with sand, according to Samson.
“Obviously it’s extremely hot out there, and I’m sure people are frustrated with the traffic, but it’s being done for their safety,” Samson said.
