Truck crashes into overpass on Hwy. 99 in Delta, closing southbound lanes

The provincial government is promising stiffer penalties for commercial vehicle operators that strike overpasses after the latest such incident Tuesday.

Emergency crews blocked off the southbound lanes of Highway 99 in Delta, B.C., after a truck crashed into an overpass Tuesday morning.

The accident happened at the Highway 17A overpass between exits 26 and 28, according to DriveBC. It's unclear whether anyone was injured.

Officials warned motorists to expect delays in the area as crews assessed the damage to the overpass.

"News of another overpass strike is frustrating for the thousands of motorists impacted," the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement Tuesday.

"When these overpass strikes occur, they significantly impact all of us — resulting in delays for drivers."

The crash is the latest in a series of similar "bridge strike" collisions that has prompted the B.C. Trucking Association to urge caution among drivers.

“Every time we have one of these incidents, it causes great disruption and it puts people at risk,” BCTA president Dave Earle told CTV News in May.

“We are calling on the customers, the drivers, the carriers who are moving these loads to stop, to measure, to make sure they know what they’re moving and to get the appropriate route planning."

The cause of Tuesday's crash has not been determined, and the ministry said the vehicle involved is now under investigation.

According to provincial data, there have been nine other bridge strike collisions over the last 12 months, each of which was determined to be caused by "driver error" or "carrier/driver error."

"Commercial vehicle operators are responsible for ensuring their loads are meeting the terms and conditions of the permit they have been issued," the ministry said. "While the vast majority of drivers operate in a responsible way, there are clearly a minority who do not and more will be done to address them."

The province is currently working with the trucking industry on a review of fines and penalties for bridge strikes, and an update is expected "in the coming months," the ministry said.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Isabella Zavarise