The E19 highway into Brussels is shut down to traffic on Wednesday morning after an incident with a truck carrying flammable chemicals, with the route expected to remain closed until at least noon.
A tanker truck with a load of liquid chemicals rammed into roadworks at around 5:30 AM and landed on its side, blocking traffic on the portion of the motorway near the village of Nimy, north of Mons, RTBF reports.
Firefighters rushed to the scene, and all lanes on the highway were shut to traffic as a precautionary measure, due to the flammable substance leaking onto the road.
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Traffic nuisances are expected to last until at least noon and will impact traffic in the surrounding roads as well, with a security perimeter put in place which includes parts of the national road N6.
"Since we're dealing with a flammable product, before towing the truck away, we absolutely need to empty its tank," the head of the fire department said, according to Le Soir. "The highway will probably remain closed until the beginning of the afternoon."
Drivers coming into Brussels from areas around Mons are advised to exit at Nimy-Maisière to take the N552 road in the direction of Obourg, while drivers going south in the direction of France are advised to exit at Mons-Est towards the R5a and then take the N552 road.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
