OPP denies drivers ‘locked in’ for hours after hazardous spill on Hwy. 400
Posted July 22, 2017 10:10 am.
Last Updated September 12, 2018 1:02 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Provincial police are denying reports that drivers were “locked in” for hours on the southbound lanes of Highway 400 as crews worked to clean up a hazardous spill on Thursday.
The OPP says police ensured the Highway 88 southbound exit remained open, but extremely heavy traffic volumes exceeded the exit’s capacity.
They also say vehicles travelling on the highway shoulders impeded access for police and other emergency vehicles, making a bad situation worse.
A fatal crash further north on Highway 400 in Vaughan only compounded the problem.
“The OPP recognizes that it was a very long, stressful ordeal for those who were stranded in [Thursday]’s lengthy traffic delays,” Commissioner Vince Hawkes said in a statement.
“The spill cleanup presented challenges for the Bradford-West Gwillimbury and Barrie Fire Departments and our officers did everything within their means while dealing with not one, but two major incidents on Highway 400 and ensuring everyone’s safety and well-being.”
OPP says officers travelled between Highways 88 and 89, providing motorists with water while checking on them during Thursday’s incident.
With files from News Staff