Acting Sgt Patsy Haynes, of Wangaratta highway patrol, said the male semi-trailer driver was very fortunate and did not require medical attention.

Sgt Haynes said the southbound truck hit a safety barrier and then rolled across two northbound freeway lanes about 4.15am.

“He came to rest on both the northbound lanes and it was lucky that two trucks that were heading north were able to see him and stop,” Sgt Haynes said.

“You just think how lucky he is and the other drivers were because you don’t drive along the freeway and expect to meet the undercarriage of a truck.”

The crash happened between the Great Alpine Road and Greta Road overpasses.

Sgt Haynes said the truck driver hit a safety barrier on the right side of the Ovens River bridge before rolling over the centre median strip and landing on the northbound lanes.

The truck was hauling seedlings and shrubs, which did not spill from the trailer.

The scene was cleared and reopened to traffic by 9am after 200 litres of diesel was cleaned up.

Sgt Haynes said the cause of the crash was still being investigated but it did not appear alcohol or another vehicle or animal sparked the rollover.

Meanwhile, a B-double truck had its trailers gutted by fire on the Hume Freeway north of Albury early yesterday.

Insp Tony Moodie, of Albury police, said the truck’s driver noticed sparks coming from a trailer tyre.

The driver stopped about a  kilometre north of Bowna Road to extinguish the flames.

However, before he could do that it spread.

Both trailers were unhitched from the prime mover by other drivers who stopped to assist at the scene.

With a load of vehicle parts fuelling the fire, about 20 members of the NSW Rural Fire Service and a NSW Fire and Rescue crew from North Albury took up to four hours to make the scene safe.

Northbound lanes of the freeway were blocked and traffic diverted on to the Olympic Highway.