Blizzard Closure Lifted on Ontario Highway 402
Authorities in southwestern Ontario, Canada lifted a state of emergency and reopened the westbound lane of snow-stricken Highway 402 between London and Sarnia Thursday morning.
The major east-west thoroughfare had been clogged by hundreds of stranded vehicles caught up on deep snowdrifts. Authorities had to tow these vehicles, which included 200 transport trucks, one at a time. Snowmobiles and helicopters were used to shift hundreds of stranded people to safety in makeshift warming centers.
Google maps image.
Some people reportedly spent more than 24 hours in their vehicles.
One man was found frozen to death outside his vehicle near Ridgetown, Ontario.
The highway was first closed Monday when windswept snow squalls streaming off Lake Huron shrouded a relatively short stretch of road in blinding, heavy snow and whiteouts. Snowfall may have exceeded 20 inches, or half a meter, within the affected stretch of highway.
Wednesday, eastbound Highway 402 was opened, allowing some stranded travelers to get back on their way. But the westbound lane was not opened until Thursday morning.
The highway closure came at significant cost. International trade between Michigan and southern Ontario was cut during the highway closure. Some Canadian automobile plants were reportedly affected by disruption in supply.
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