'It's just chaotic': Boxing Day freezing rain turns roads treacherous
Reports of drivers abandoning vehicles on Highway 401 near Belleville, Ont.
Environment Canada continues to warn people in Ottawa and throughout eastern Ontario not to travel on Boxing Day as freezing rain hits the region.
The agency has issued a freezing rain warning for Ottawa, adding there should be "significant" ice build-up as a result of conditions on Monday.
"Travel is not recommended," the agency said in their warning. "Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots will become icy, slippery and extremely hazardous."
The storm is picking up. More than 200 salting vehicles are on the road, according to the city <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ottnews?src=hash">#ottnews</a> <a href="https://t.co/yWT90oSR9U">pic.twitter.com/yWT90oSR9U</a>
—@matthewkupferSalting underway
The city has deployed its entire fleet of road and sidewalk-salting equipment, said Bryden Denyes, area manager for core roads.
"We're putting material down on basically everything we can right now, to deal with the freezing rain and the ice pellets that have come down," Denyes said.
"We're talking in the range of probably 200 to 250 pieces of equipment out on the roads."
Drivers abandoning vehicles
The freezing rain has caused treacherous driving conditions Monday morning throughout eastern Ontario — and particularly on Highway 401 west of Belleville, Ont., where OPP reported two tractor-trailer collisions near the Brighton, Ont., exit.
One tractor-trailer spilled its contents onto the highway after it crashed Monday morning, Northumberland OPP said.
As of 3 p.m., the westbound lanes of Highway 401 approaching Big Apple Drive were still closed, causing lengthy traffic backups.
UPDATE:ROAD CLOSURE: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hwy401?src=hash">#Hwy401</a> WB remains CLOSED approaching Big Apple Dr <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Brighton?src=hash">#Brighton</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Colborne?src=hash">#Colborne</a> - Reopening time unknown. ^ag
—@OPP_COMM_ERDave and Janette Semenuk of Belleville were heading to a Boxing Day dinner in St. Catharines, Ont., when they ended up stuck for more than two hours Monday afternoon in a sea of vehicles near Trenton, Ont.
They told CBC News that other drivers were abandoning their vehicles on the side of the highway.
"It's just chaotic," Dave Semenuk said. "I don't think we're going to make it for dinner — maybe tomorrow."
Collisions were also being reported elsewhere in eastern Ontario.
UPDATE: COLLISION: Hwy 7 CLOSED between Hwy 37 and Hwy 41 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tweed?src=hash">#Tweed</a> - due to a collision. Reopening time unknown. ^ag
—@OPP_COMM_ERCOLLISION: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hwy417?src=hash">#Hwy417</a> WB approaching Island Park Dr <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OttTraffic?src=hash">#OttTraffic</a>- 2 vehicles blocking the left lane. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OPP?src=hash">#OPP</a> enroute. ^ag
—@OPP_COMM_ERCOLLISION: Lucas Rd and County Rd 28 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Odessa?src=hash">#Odessa</a> - Single vehicle in ditch. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OPP?src=hash">#OPP</a> and Fire Dept on scene. ^ag
—@OPP_COMM_ERAccording to Environment Canada's warning, areas of the province were near Lake Ontario were expected to see that freezing rain become rain during the early afternoon.
However, areas near the Ottawa Valley may not see the changeover to rain until the evening, which could mean up to 10 millimetres of ice.
Untreated surfaces will b very slippery this pm. 5-10mm of ice accretion possible. <a href="https://t.co/4FsB4cKMA3">https://t.co/4FsB4cKMA3</a> <a href="https://t.co/MUVRtCjGOC">pic.twitter.com/MUVRtCjGOC</a>
—@BlacksWeatherWith files from Idil Mussa and Matthew Kupfer