Driver of flipped semi-trailer arrested on drunk driving charges

The driver whoflipped his semi-trailer on the north end of the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge Friday morning has been arrested and charged withimpaired driving and driving while prohibited.

The incident damaged the Fern Street overpass over Highway 1 and snarled traffic on the major roadway for hours.

Police say the47-year-old Surrey resident was taken to hospital but is not seriously hurt .

The highway hasnow reopened.

Photos shared by North Vancouver RCMPshowthe semi lying on its side underneath theoverpass at the bottomof the cut, with much of its load spilled.

Police say the driver went off the road andhit the overpasssupport structure at around 4 a.m. PT.

Westbound lanes of Highway 1 were closed for the morning rush hour causing a backup all the way to Coquitlam.

Crews had to clean up a significant amount of wreckage, including a large fuel spill on the highway, and engineers werebrought in to ensure the structural integrity of the overpass.

The site of the crash and the area around it has been undergoingmajor reconstruction for over a year.