Multiple cows killed after truck overturns on A2; Highway closed

A truck loaded with cows overturned on the A2 highway near Grathem on Friday morning, closing the highway in both directions for several hours. One lane towards Eindhoven has now reopened. Several cows were killed in the crash, 1Limburg reports.

Travelers to Maastricht still have to take a detour and take 45 minutes of extra travel time into account, public works department Rijkswaterstaat said. 

The accident happened at around 2:45 a.m. on Friday. The truck hit the crash barrier between the two sides of the highway and ended up sprawled over the road, blocking traffic in both directions. Rijkswaterstaat is at the scene and hopes to have the crash barrier repaired and the road reopened by 11:00 a.m. 

Some cows did not survive the crash, according to 1Limburg. About half of the animals broke loose from the double-deck truck and were walking on the highway. A vet responded to the scene to check the animals, and their owner sent special trucks to collect them. 

Rijkswaterstraat set up a detour for the morning rush hour, diverting traffic from the Het Vonderen junction via the A73 and A67. The public works department asked motorists to postpone their journey if possible.