QEW could be closed for hours west of Toronto after dump truck hit overpass

The QEW has been shut down in both directions this morning after a dump truck struck a pedestrian overpass in Mississauga, Ontario Provincial Police say.

Police said shortly before 7 a.m., a dump truck with its bin up hit a pedestrian bridge under construction near North Service Road.

“The damage to the pedestrian overpass is extensive,” OPP Const. Nicki Morris told CP24 on Tuesday. “There is a great shift between two parts of the bridge.”

She noted that until the bridge is stabilized, the highway will be closed in both directions between Cawthra and Dixie roads. The roadway is expected to be shut down until about 2 p.m., police said.

“Parts of the bridge are dangling, which does create obviously a dangerous situation for all motorists in the area,” she said.

No injuries have been reported.

Morris said drivers are being advised to find alternate routes as the Ministry of Transportation, Peel police, and the OPP deal with traffic congestion resulting from the collision.

It is unclear what charges, if any, the driver of the transport truck will face.

“I can’t speak to the charges at this point. The Mississauga OPP is investigating that,” Morris said.

“Driving with the bin up on dump truck, colliding with a bridge creates obviously not just a significant hazard and danger but a significant inconvenience to the people travelling across the QEW today.”