A portion of Hwy. 22 was shut down while a semi-truck carrying molten sulphur was removed from a nearby wooded area. Police say the driver lost control of the truck while travelling Hwy. 22 at about 5:30 a.m. on July 30.ìThe vehicle was bouncing all over the road and he hit the guardrail,î said attending officer Const. Terry Willard of the truck that went off the road near the Burnt Timber Gas Plant road.Willard said the driver believed mechanical issues were what resulted in his loss of control of the truck owned by the company RBS Bulk Systems. None of the molten sulphur being transported by the truck was leaked.However, the truck's diesel tanks fell off after the truck hit the ditch, resulting in a diesel spill.The spill was cleaned up by a hazardous materials team from RBS Bulk Systems.Alberta Highways staff members were also on scene and in contact with Alberta Environment during the process.Hwy. 22 was shut down for about nine hours starting at 7 p.m., as two tow trucks hired by RBS Bulk Systems were used to remove the semi-truck.ìThey had to have the trucks parked on the highway, so they were in both lanes,î said Paul Prout, field technologist for Alberta Transportation on the decision to close the highway.ìWe tried to figure out another way of doing it. Maybe just closing one lane ó but because of the molten sulphur if something tipped over or broke and there happened to be a car just passing at that time, then you'd be saying ëI wish I didn't do it that way.'îDuring the removal of the truck, there was some consideration that a ditch that separated the vehicle from the highway and was approximately one metre deep would need to be filled in with gravel. However, the truck was removed without that being required.The driver did not suffer injuries as a result of the incident.
