A safety warning remains in place for residents in Melbourne’s northwest after a large truck carrying chemical fungicide rolled over.

The B-double crashed into a barrier on the Western Ring Road and rolled into a Tullamarine embankment at about 2am on Friday, spilling 40 tonnes of fungicide onto the freeway.

The driver, a 41-year-old Mernda man, was taken to hospital with minor injuries after crews worked to free him from the truck.

The incident was horrific, Acting Senior Sergeant Jason Connor said.

“I’m surprised he’s walked away,” he told the ABC on Friday.

Fire crews and the Environment Protection Authority will spend most of Friday clearing the freeway.

“We are trying to do our best to manage the incident but also keep those roads open,” Assistant Chief Fire Officer Craig Brownlie told the ABC.

“It’s a process of picking up the materials that have been spilt but also any of the dirt that the product may have gone into.”

A hazardous fumes warning remains in place for residents in surrounding suburbs, while motorists are asked to avoid the area.

– AAP