Peak hour delays on freeway after truck blaze

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A truck carrying a shipping container has burst into flames across the Monash Freeway, sparking lane closures and long delays during Melbourne’s peak hour.

A spokeswoman for Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) said the cabin of the truck spontaneously burst into flames around 8.20am on Thursday near Warragul Road in Chadstone, in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs.

Figures show Melbourne’s traffic has risen to close to pre-pandemic levels.Credit: Wayne Taylor

The driver of the truck self-evacuated from the burning vehicle and was not injured.

Firefighters were able to contain the blaze just before 8.40am. The FRV spokeswoman said there were no chemical or hazmat issues on the freeway as a result of the inferno.

The Department of Transport closed all inbound lanes of the Monash Freeway following the fire, but advised by 9am it had reopened one city-bound lane while clean-up crews continued to secure the area.

“There is significant congestion on the freeway from EastLink, resulting in traffic delays of over 50 minutes,” the department said in a statement.

Alternatives to avoid the congestion included the Princes Highway, Wellington Road, Ferntree Gully Road, Waverley Road or the Burwood Highway. Drivers can return to the freeway from Warrigal Road.

Ambulance Victoria said they did not treat any patients at the scene of the blaze.

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