Travel in Northern Ontario – Check your Local News! UPDATE 11:27 a.m.

There are some highway closures that are impacting travel in Northern Ontario. Wawa-news is posting updates below for travellers. Update times are posted in the headline:

Jul 24, 2017 @ 11:17 – At 10:35 a.m. Sault Ste. Marie OPP issued the following media release…

“Highway 17 North of Sault Ste. Marie in the Alona Bay area is now partially  re–opened. The northbound lane has traffic moving intermittently in both directions for a three kilometre stretch. The southbound lane is still closed.

Please drive with caution in this area as work crews are working on the highway and be prepared to stop for traffic control signals that have been erected.”

Jul 24, 2017 @ 10:23 – At 10:00 a.m. Sault Ste. Marie OPP issued a media release stating:

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Incident number: NP17082577

Sault Ste Marie Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police advise of the following Partial Road Opening:

Highway: 17

Location: Alona Bay North of Sault Ste. Marie

Brief Description of Event: OPP have opened one lane resulting in alternating traffic. 

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Jul 24, 2017 @ 9:53 – At 9:37 OPPCommunicationsNER tweeted:

 

Jul 24, 2017 @ 07:07 – There is not much news yet on the highway closures this morning. Highway 17 at the Alona Bay Lookout is still closed.

 

Detour for Hwy 17 – Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa via Hwy 129.

 

Leave Sault Ste. Marie for Sudbury going east on Highway 17. Travel to Junction of 17/129 about 90kms east of Sault Ste. Marie. Turn left onto Hwy 129 and travel 215 kilometres to Junction of 101/129. Continue straight (unless you are heading into Chapleau for gas/snack) towards Wawa. Travel 120 kilometres on Highway 101 to Wawa. At Wawa you can then rejoin Hwy 17 and head west.

 

This is a five hour trip, and Wawa-news is unsure of gas along this route (except in Chapleau), so be sure to have full tanks.

 

Jul 23, 2017 @ 20:36 – On July 23, 2017, at approximately 8:00 a.m., officers of the Hearst Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and the Cochrane District Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were advised of a motor vehicle collision on Highway 11, in Studholme Township west of the Town of Hearst.

 

Police investigation revealed that a single motor vehicle collision involving a tractor-trailer occurred, which resulted in a male driver being taken to hospital via air-ambulance for serious injuries. The Hearst Fire Department was also called to assist with extricating the driver.

 

Highway 11 was closed for several hours while the OPP Technical Collision Investigators (TCI) assisted with the investigation. The Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change of Ontario (MOECC) also attended due to a fuel spillage.

 

One lane of the Highway has now been re-opened. The cause of the collision is still under investigation.

 

Jul 23, 2017 @ 17:21 – Tweet from OPP at 6:25 p.m. EXPECT delays but #OPP in #Hearst report 1 lane now open on #Hwy11 alternating east west traffic flow.

 

July 23, 2017 @ 11:54:55 – Hwy 17 – The highway along Alona Bay has been washed out. There is no indication at this time as to when it will open. OPP issued a press release at 9:55 a.m. “OPP have initiated a closure of highway 17 north of Sault Ste. Marie due to road conditions”

 

If you detour through Ranger Lake be careful, and if you travel 129 to 101 and 17 please take care through the construction zones – the heavy rain has wreaked havoc on the gravel, and there may be significant potholes.

 

Hwy 11 – 40 km west of Hearst has been closed due to a serious motor vehicle collision. “Single tractor trailer blocking highway, emergency services on scene”