Westbound lanes of Highway 401 in eastern Ontario have reopened, but eastbound lanes remain closed after a series of collisions involving up to 50 vehicles in the Quinte West area on Tuesday.
Ontario Provincial Police said crashes were reported along a 100-kilometre stretch of the highway between Brighton and Odessa. The first incidents were reported around 8:30 a.m. within a 2.5-kilometre section of the eastbound lanes in Quinte West. No fatalities or life-threatening injuries were reported, though three to four people were taken to hospital. In one incident, a woman was rescued from her vehicle just before it caught fire; a nearby tractor-trailer also sustained damage.
As of 7 p.m., eastbound lanes remain closed between County Road 30 in Brighton, west of Trenton, and Wallbridge Loyalist Road in Belleville. OPP Sgt. Erin Cranton emphasized the importance of slowing down and maintaining safe distances during hazardous conditions.
A snow squall warning was in effect Tuesday morning, with blowing snow and near-zero visibility reported. The Ministry of Transportation said lanes were snow-covered with reduced visibility between Quinte West and Napanee, prompting police to issue a travel advisory for roads east of Trenton.
Westbound lanes had been closed for several hours between Wallbridge Loyalist Road and Glen Miller Road in Trenton but reopened around 3:15 p.m. Other westbound closures near Palace Road in Napanee and Camden East Road near Odessa were cleared by mid-afternoon.
Emergency crews checked on all stranded motorists and used buses to transport people to the Trenton Arena, where a warming centre was established. Police said drivable vehicles were gradually being cleared and tow trucks remained on standby.
Police warned that eastbound lanes could remain closed for an extended period as cleanup and investigations continue, noting that crews were working as quickly and safely as possible in difficult weather conditions. The incidents followed a winter storm a day earlier that resulted in more than 100 collisions across eastern Ontario.
Update – Police on Tuesday night announced that eastbound lanes have reopened.