A man was injured when the bin lorry he was driving overturned on the M6 Dublin to Galway road on Thursday afternoon. The incident occurred between the Athlone and Ballinasloe junctions on the eastbound lane shortly after 12.30pm.
The man was brought to the Midlands Regional Hospital in Mullingar where his condition was said to be serious, but not life threatening.
A plan was put in place to clear fuel from the road and it is believed that the contents of the truck have been contained. Motorists travelling eastbound on the M6 were being diverted on to local roads while the truck was being removed.
AA Roadwatch said traffic was extremely heavy along the diversion route and through Athlone town as a result.
A crane was being dispatched to remove the lorry from the road and gardaí expected it would reopen after 8pm .