27 April 2008

And the aftermath


Fierce snowstorm temporarily closes Trans-Canada Highway

A stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway in southeastern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario was reopened Sunday, a day after poor visibility and treacherous driving conditions forced police to shut it down.

The highway was closed for about 24 hours from Falcon Lake, Man., to Thunder Bay, Ont., as a snowstorm hammered the area, bringing high winds and up to 20 centimetres of snow.

The closure forced dozens of cars and trucks to turn around. Many drivers waited out the storm in Falcon Lake, about a 90-minute drive east of Winnipeg.

In Winnipeg, about 20 people were stranded at the Greyhound bus depot after their driver was forced to turn back from Falcon Lake.

While the highway has been reopened, a Department of Transportation spokesman told CBC News that road conditions were still far from ideal on Sunday morning.

Most highways in southeastern Manitoba were in poor shape with icy and snow-packed sections.