HOLIDAY traffic was massively disrupted for more than an hour through Gympie yesterday, after a three-car crash closed the Bruce Hwy in both directions near the Gold Nugget Truck Stop.

Southbound traffic was backed up more than 5km to Monkland St, with similar congestion at the highway’s Brisbane Rd intersection as holidaymakers attempted to head homewards after the long weekend.

Vehicle queues were also at a standstill in take-away food outlets from Brodies to McDonald’s, as families sought ways to fill in time while police, fire and rescue workers, ambulance officers and tow truck operators worked to clear the crash scene.

Officials said there were no major injuries from the crash, but two adults and two children were taken to Gympie hospital for a check up.

“There was an amazing amount of traffic on the road,” one official said.

Others said a southbound sedan containing two adults and two children was stopped at a queue waiting to turn right off the highway into the truck stop.

Another sedan, carrying a young couple, stopped behind them.

A Land Rover towing a caravan and containing another couple apparently could not pull up in time.

As the Land Rover driver took evasive action, he pulled to the right, but clipped the sedan in front of him, driving it into the one in front of it.

The Land Rover stopped in the ditch beside the northbound highway lane and all three cars were towed from the scene of the crash, bur no serious injuries were reported.