‘It’s sheer ice’: Canmore RCMP advise against travel as poor weather conditions impact Highway 1

Traffic was backed up on Highway 1 due to a snowstorm and icy highway.

Poor driving conditions on Highway 1 west of Calgary caused a huge traffic jam Saturday morning.

Canmore RCMP issued a release at 11:48 a.m., warning that the roads were in terrible condition, causing a number of vehicles to drive into the ditch.

Calgary realtor Karen Fawcett was trying to return to the city from Canmore Saturday morning and said she was stuck in traffic for two hours.

By noon, she said eastbound traffic was moving at around 60 km/h but westbound lanes were lined up and not moving around Deadman’s Flats.

Fawcett estimated the lineup of cars to be somewhere between 10 and 15 kilometres.

“I used to have a place in Canmore and I’ve never seen a lineup like that,” she said.

Fawcett said the highways were “sheer ice,” causing a number of semi-trailers to jack-knife into the ditch.

“There’s been hundreds of accidents,” she said, adding that traffic was so backed up, a police car couldn’t get through it.

“And a fire truck ended up in the ditch,” she added.

Canmore RCMP say no injuries have been reported thus far and ask that motorists please avoid travel if possible.

Refer to 511 Alberta for updates.