On November 25, 2014 at approximately 4:30pm, Saugeen Shores Police officers were dispatched to a motor vehicle accident at the bridge over the Saugeen River on Bruce Road #40, approximately 1.5 kms west of Bruce Road #3.
A truck and trailer were westbound on Bruce Road #40 approaching the bridge when the driver lost control of the vehicle. The road conditions were slushy and icy due to recent snow and a change in the temperature. The trailer unit of the truck took out a guard rail along the side of the road and then ended up at the east side of the bridge structure. When the vehicle and trailer came to rest the truck and trailer unit had turned onto its side and the trailer was on the embankment leading down to the river. The load in the trailer, approximately 34 tons of asphalt, ended up spread over the bridge embankment. Some of the asphalt ended up in the Saugeen River. The driver of the vehicle was not injured.
Bruce Road #40 was closed while heavy tow equipment was brought in to upright the truck and trailer.
The Ministry of Environment and Bruce County Roads were contacted to deal with possible environmental and bridge damage.
At approximately 1:30pm on November 26, 2014, Bruce Road #40 was re-opened.
