The QEII corridor through central Alberta was heavily impacted by severe winter weather on Wednesday, with closures, collisions and emergency warnings prompting police and municipal officials to urge motorists to stay off the roads.
After a several-hour closure of both northbound and southbound lanes of the QEII between Airdrie and Calgary, motorists reported shortly before 5 p.m. that the northbound lanes had reopened.
Motorists reported shortly before 5 p.m. that the northbound QEII between Calgary and Airdrie had reopened following prolonged closures earlier in the day.
In an update issued later Wednesday afternoon, Airdrie RCMP said traffic was beginning to move through the collision site between Calgary and Airdrie.
Police said northbound lanes were open and one southbound lane had reopened, while crews continued working to move semi-trucks and clear vehicles from the roadway shoulders.
RCMP said the total number of vehicles involved and the number of injuries were not yet known. Police added that numerous vehicles remained along the shoulders and urged motorists to use caution, noting that travel was still not recommended as officers continued responding to collisions in Airdrie and surrounding areas.
Earlier in the day, at 12:50 p.m., Olds Fire Department said QEII southbound was closed from the Olds overpass to Crossfield due to severe weather, significantly reduced visibility and strong winds creating hazardous driving conditions. Municipal enforcement officers were deployed at Highway 2A and Highway 27 in Olds to manage traffic, and RCMP advised no travel at that time due to unsafe conditions.
Carstairs Fire Department reported that Highway 2 had been closed between Highway 292 and Highway 582 due to icy road conditions, zero visibility and multiple motor vehicle collisions. The department later said the highway reopened around 3 p.m., warning that road conditions remained treacherous.
Emergency responders in Airdrie were also dealing with a high volume of collisions.
In a 3:18 p.m. update, Airdrie Fire Chief Mike Pirie said all trapped people had been extricated and others moved to safety in Airdrie. He said the backlog of serious medical calls had been addressed and crews had returned to normal operations.
“The road conditions are unsafe for travel. Do not travel unless absolutely necessary,” Pirie said earlier in the day.
In the morning, Airdrie RCMP advised drivers to avoid all roadways within their policing area, including the City of Airdrie, Rocky View County, Crossfield, Beiseker and surrounding rural areas.
“Driving conditions are treacherous with zero visibility,” police said, adding officers were responding to numerous collisions. “Please stay home so everyone, including all first responders, are safe.”
The blowing snow advisory ended at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday.
DiscoverAirdrie encourages you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverAirdrie app.