[BC省新聞] Bad weather causes traffic mayhem on B.C. highways weather, traffic, causes, closed

Quest

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/br ... la-closed-1.3321512

Sections of some British Columbia highways, including the Coquihalla, Highway 1 and Highway 97C, were partially or entirely closed due to accidents caused by poor weather conditions across the province on Monday.

Highway 97C is closed in both directions 10 kilometres east of Merritt due to an accident. It's not expected to reopen until between 9 p.m. PT and 10 p.m. PT Monday.

A collision on Highway 1 westbound between Willingdon Avenue and Douglas Road left two right lanes blocked early Monday afternoon. DriveBC is warning commuters to expect heavy delays.

'Not for the faint of heart'

But it's the Coquihalla Highway that appears to have taken the brunt of the poor weather conditions.

The highway remains closed northbound about 40 kilometres south of Merritt because of a spill of more than 13,000 kilograms of PF resin, a corrosive glue, said RCMP Sgt. Norm Flemming.

"The Coquihalla Highway is not for the faint of heart," said Flemming. "The vehicle that was carrying this substance fell victim to an accident, much like many, many others have today."

Merritt RCMP are on the scene of an accident south of Merritt, one of two that closed the Coquihalla Highway on Monday. (Adam Camley)

Flemming said the truck, which was carrying two loads of the glue, lost control and jackknifed, causing one of the loads to spill.

He said a hazmat team was responding to the accident, and there was no estimate as to when that section of the highway would reopen.

At least one southbound lane on the Coquihalla Highway is still closed south of Merritt, after an earlier accident closed the highway in that direction near the Coldwater Interchange.

Adam Camley was driving from Vancouver when he came across that accident.

He saw three vehicles overturned in a ditch, as well as two semi-trucks on the roadway — with a car pinned between them.

Camley said at the time of the incidents, the roadway was completely covered with a thick sheet of ice.

"The conditions were really bad," he said. "We hit fog and it was really dense. We couldn't see through it and sure enough, right about two to three minutes into the fog we had to slam on our brakes because everyone was at a complete stop."

Camley said his co-worker was in one of the overturned vehicles, and has gone to hospital in Merritt with some scrapes and bruises.