Northbound and nowhere fast: Highway 400 clogged with cottage traffic

If you’re heading north for the unofficial Canada Day long weekend, you’re not alone.

Thousands of drivers hit the road Friday afternoon for the unofficial kickoff to the summer season, leading to long delays and heavy congestion along Highway 400 through Barrie as city-dwellers make their way toward cottage country.

From late Friday morning into the afternoon, traffic has been bumper-to-bumper in stretches, especially around key interchanges.

But the slow crawl north is nothing new for many. It’s a ritual of summer in Ontario: the mass exodus from the GTA to Muskoka, often backing traffic up for kilometres as cottagers, campers and tourists seek lakeside views and outdoor activities.

In Barrie, many travellers stopped to fuel up and grab food and supplies to break up the long, slow-going trek north.

Police suggest anyone hitting the road pack their patience and expect delays throughout the weekend to make it a safe and enjoyable one for everyone.

The OPP will be out in full force over the weekend, actively patrolling roadways, trails and waterways, and say officers will be keeping a keen eye for high-risk behaviours: driving impaired, aggressive, or distracted, and seatbelt compliance.

“Don’t drink or use drugs and drive,” OPP stated, adding motorists can expect R.I.D.E. checks over the weekend. “Speeding and reckless driving won’t be tolerated.”

Police also say to keep your eyes on the roads and not on devices, and to buckle up, “every trip, every time.”