Some nearby homes "look like someone has kicked the door in". Other residents claimed it felt like their roof lifted off during the blast.
A section of the Bruce Highway in central Queensland closed for days since the fiery collision is expected to partially reopen just before midnight on Tuesday.
But road repair work may last for weeks.
A truck carrying chemicals exploded hours after a fatal collision with a ute in Queensland. (HANDOUT/QUEENSLAND AMBULANCE SERVICE)
"The site itself looks like a missile has hit the side of the road," Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett told AAP.
The male driver of a ute died in a head-on collision with a B-double semi-trailer carrying 42.5 tonnes of ammonium nitrate near Bororen early on Friday.
Hours later the truck carrying the chemicals commonly used in fertilisers exploded with a blast radius of 500m, but shock waves were felt for kilometres.
The full extent of damage is unclear with property assessments ongoing.
"Some people are reporting significant damage to their houses," Mr Burnett said.
"Some (houses) look like someone has kicked the door in.
"Someone did report that it felt like their roof lifted off but I haven't verified that."
The truck blast had a radius of about 500m but shock waves were felt for kilometres. (HANDOUT/QUEENSLAND POLICE)
Then there is the impact of the highway's closure.
Diversion routes have been set up covering a 160km section from Calliope to Gin Gin since Friday.
Some businesses that rely on the highway's heavy traffic are reporting losses of up to $10,000 a day.
The Bruce Highway section near the blast is due to reopen with a single lane from 11.55pm on Tuesday.
By the time motorists steadily come through again, some businesses from Colosseum north to Benaraby - spanning more than 50km - would have endured almost a week without a customer.
"We know these communities rely on Bruce Highway traffic and for five days no one has been through," Mr Burnett said.
"I have never seen a crash close the highway this long ... and I have been on the council 24 years.
"Regardless if it re-opens with one or two lanes it (traffic) will still be slow. It will be a work site for at least the next 20 days."
Road repairs underway after a chemicals truck exploded on the Bruce Highway in Queensland. (HANDOUT/QUEENSLAND TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS DEPARTMENT)
Mr Burnett said the district would be seeking state and federal support.
"While it is not a fire or a flood, it is still a disaster," he said.
"There needs to be support for those affected."
The rail line near the blast reopened on Saturday night.
Crews have been working around the clock on the damaged road since Sunday.
"There is a massive five-and-a-half metre crater," Mr Burnett said of the blast site.
"If it happened further up the road...where there are houses and businesses right on the highway it would have been even worse."
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