Major northern Ontario highways reopen following separate transport truck crashes

An Ontario Provincial Police vehicle is shown driving down a snow covered highway in this undated image. (File photo/Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook)

Two collisions involving transport trucks forced the closure of major northern Ontario highways Saturday night before both routes were reopened hours later.

Details on the causes of the crashes or the extent of any injuries remain limited.

First crash closes Highway 11

The first incident occurred on Highway 11 in the area of Lambert Road in Opasatika, west of Kapuskasing.

Ontario Provincial Police first reported the crash involving two transport trucks on social media shortly before 7 p.m.

“Injuries are being assessed,” OPP said in their initial post.

The closure was later expanded to cover all of Highway 11 between Kapuskasing and Hearst.

The roadway was closed for about nine hours before police announced it had reopened just before 4 a.m. Sunday.

“We appreciated your patience and understanding during the investigation and clean-up efforts,” OPP said.

Second collision halts traffic on Highway 17

A second, unrelated collision occurred later Saturday evening on Highway 17 in Upsala, about 200 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay.

OPP reported that crash at 8:19 p.m., saying it also involved two transport trucks.

The highway was closed in both directions.

Again, police advised that “injuries are being assessed.”

That second closure was significantly shorter, with police announcing Highway 17 had reopened by 9:16 p.m.

Check road conditions

In both instances, OPP advised motorists to expect significant delays while emergency crews worked at the scenes.

Authorities regularly advise the public to check for updates on weather conditions and road closures by calling 511 or visiting the 511on.ca before travelling.

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