A major Queensland highway may remain closed for days after a fatal crash resulted in an explosion, damaging the road.
The male driver of a ute died in the fiery head-on collision with a B-double semi-trailer on the Bruce Highway, near Bororen in central Queensland, early on Friday.
The truck driver suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital.
The truck was carrying 42.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a chemical commonly used in fertilisers, when it exploded after the crash.
The blast produced a damage radius of 500 metres and left a crater in the highway.
A section between Gin Gin and Calliope has been closed since Friday and is expected to remain shut off to motorists for days.
Transport Minister Bart Mellish said his department was handed back the site from emergency services on Sunday.
It will now look to reopen the road to a single or dual lane operation over the "next couple of days".
"They're working around the clock to get this section of the Bruce Highway sorted," he told ABC Radio.
"This has obviously had a pretty big effect on the local area, with some pretty large diversions in place."
Inspections are underway to assess the road to determine whether it can be resealed and opened to motorists.
The Bruce Highway is notorious for the number of crashes and debate has been long-running for greater state government investment to reduce the road toll.
The major artery is predominantly used for freight from Brisbane to the north of the state and truckies say the road needs more funding than the current $4 billion over four years.
"We need a significant uplift in the capital investment in the Bruce (Highway)," Queensland's Trucking Association CEO Gary Mahon said.
