Traffic was banked up for kilometres around Mount Maunganui today after a three-vehicle crash on Hewletts Rd.
The police officer in charge of traffic for Western Bay of Plenty Ian Campion said the collision involved a car and logging truck, with the car then crashing into a light truck.
The car received substantial frontal damage in the crash at 3.10pm and resulted in the fuel tank on the logging truck cracking, with about 100 litres of diesel leaking onto the road.
It happened on the Ballance Agri-Nutrients bend before the Harbour Bridge Marina, stopping the flow of traffic heading into town until one lane was opened.
Mr Campion said the occupants of the car received minor injuries and were dealt with by St John Ambulance paramedics at the scene.
Mopping up the diesel meant that the west-bound lanes did not fully open until 80 minutes after the crash happened.
Mount Fire Service station officer Roger Pickett said two fire appliances contained the diesel and prevented it from flowing down drains and into the harbour. The fuel leaked from a crack in the truck's fuel tank.
He said the traffic banked up like crazy, with cars queued up down Gulf Rd and Links Ave.
Police were telling motorists to avoid Hewletts Rd and take SH29 via Maungatapu to reach town.