Highway 17 North re-opens

OPP NEWS RELEASES

******************** 9 a.m. - Highway 17 North re-opened

Batchawana, Ont. - Officials with the Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Transportation have re-opened Highway 17 between Batchawana and Wawa.

This stretch of the Trans Canada Highway has been shut down since late Saturday night.

Driving conditions remain less than ideal throughout that area.

Motorists attempting to use Highway 17 between Wawa and Sault Ste, Marie are being asked to drive according to the weather conditions and slow down in bad weather.

Some reports received by the OPP are indicating that there is a prediction of isolated snowfall in that area possibly accumulating up to 50 centimeters

******************** 8 a.m. - Poor weather keeps Highway 17 North closed

Batchawana, Ont. - Highway 17 north of Sault Ste Marie between Batchawana and Wawa remains closed this morning because of bad weather.

This stretch of Highway 17 was originally shut down on Saturday morning because of a collision involving six tractor-trailers.

A combination of poor weather and zero visibility resulted a chain reaction crash with the six trucks.

Crash-scene photo

An attempt to re-open Highway 17 between Batchawana and Wawa on Saturday night was followed by further collisions and downward turn in weather conditions.

It was closed again late Saturday night and remains closed at this hour.

Radar weather Internet sites are showing another weather front that is coming in off Lake Superior severely affecting Highway 17 between Batchawana and Wawa.

Visibility along that stretch of the Trans Canada Highway remains poor to zero.

OPP along with the MTO are monitoring the situation on a continual basis.

Travellers attempting to use that section of Highway 17 are being stopped in Batchawana and Wawa.

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