Highway remains closed following uranium spill near Swift Current, Sask.

A stretch of highway near Swift Current in southwest Saskatchewan has been cordoned offafter a tractor-trailer carrying 63 drums of uranium concentrate bound for a refinery rolled, spilling a small part of its load.

As of 4 p.m. CST on Tuesday, RCMP said theywere no longer on the scene. However, the area is expected to remain closed as hazmatteams continue to work.

Motorists in the area can expect delays. People are told to check the Highway Hotline for updates.

RCMP have notified residents within a 1.6-kilometre radius of what happened, but say an evacuation was deemed unnecessary because there were no homes downwind from the scene.

The rollover happened around noon on Monday on Highway 4, about 10 kilometres north of Swift Current.

Capt. Greg Campbell of the Swift Current fire department says there was a minor crack in the container carrying the yellowcake, which has a low level of radioactivity, but the spill is mostly contained.

The uranium was produced by a company in Australia and was being shipped through the United States en route to Cameco's refinery in Blind River, Ont.

Campbell says Cameco officials and their contractors have been on site and will undertake the cleanup, with oversight by Canutec, the Transport Canada agency that is responsible for public safety in the transportation of dangerous goods.