The driver of a pickup truck is dead after a vehicle crash on the Trans-Canada Highway near Gander on Friday.

The RCMP said two vehicles were involved in the crash, the pickup and a dump truck towing a trailer.

A passenger in the pickup truck was injured, and police believe the injuries are serious.

The TCH was closed for several hours Friday afternoon and into the evening, creating a mass traffic backup for motorists.

Traffic still backed up but moving near Benton...lots of cops on scene <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nltraffic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nltraffic</a> <a href="https://t.co/V55UwBNkcS">pic.twitter.com/V55UwBNkcS</a> —@chels_janelle

Early Friday afternoon both the eastbound and westbound lanes of the highway were closed, east of the community of Benton, which is near Square Pond Park.

By 5:15 p.m. police said they had one lane of traffic open on the TCH at Benton, to allow traffic to move through at "very slow intervals." Shortly before 8 p.m. police said traffic was moving but reduced to one lane, and for drivers to expect delays travelling between Gander and Gambo.

The RCMP said drivers could still take a detour put in place earlier through route 320, which added about three hours of extra driving time for those who used it.

The detour route around an accident on the TCH is expected to take three hours. (CBC)

The detour heading westbound got off the TCH at Gambo, and eastbound travellers exited the highway at Gander.

Emergency crews from Gander and Glovertown were on site for several hours.

An RCMP traffic analyst was dispatched to the scene as well to investigate.