The Queen Elizabeth Way has reopened near St. Catharines and a shelter in place order has been lifted for 3,500 area households after a truck carrying hazardous materials rolled over on the highway on Tuesday.
The truck was travelling in the Fort Erie-bound lanes of the QEW near Martindale Road at around 3 p.m. when it mounted a median wall and flipped on its side.
The truck was carrying phosphine, which is a flammable and toxic gas, and a result a hazardous materials cleanup crew from Hamilton was brought to the scene.
Residents in the vicinity of the QEW and Martindale Road were initially told to evacuate over concerns that they would be exposed to the chemical, however officials later issued a shelter-in-place order instead.
During that order, residents were asked to keep their windows closed and their air conditioners turned off.
The shelter in place was then lifted at around 12:25 a.m. The highway, with the exception of one Fort-Erie bound lane, reopened at around 3 a.m.
No injuries were reported as a result of the crash or the chemical spill.
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate the cause of the crash while the City of St. Catharines and St. Catharines Fire Services are handling the investigation into the chemical spill.
