Trans-Canada open again, crash caused delays on Highway 11

It wasn’t snowing Wednesday morning, but the weather still was having an impact on Saskatchewan highways.

Just after 8:30 a.m., the Highway Hotline said the Trans-Canada Highway was closed from Wolseley to the Manitoba border. The report said the reason for the closure was loose snow and icy or slippery sections.

A texter to the CKOM newsroom just after 8 a.m. said there was a tour bus on its side between the driving lanes of the Trans-Canada near Wolseley.

The RCMP confirmed the crash happened shortly after 7 a.m. The Mounties said several occupants of the bus were being treated at a hospital, but the RCMP didn’t know how many people were hurt or the extent of their injuries.

According to the Highway Hotline, the Trans-Canada was opened to traffic again by noon on Wednesday, though it noted that several incidents along that stretch may require drivers to reduce their speed.

There also was a multi-vehicle crash involving at least four semis on Highway 11 near Chamberlain. On social media, STARS said one of its air ambulances had been dispatched to the scene of that crash.

STAR-9 (Regina) has been dispatched for a scene call emergency in the Chamberlain, SK area.

— STARS (@STARSambulance) November 8, 2023

The Highway Hotline said there was a detour set up for the northbound lanes of Highway 11 at Chamberlain, while the southbound lanes were clear.

The advisory about that incident was removed mid-afternoon.

The Highway Hotline also said visibility was an issue on some highways east of Saskatoon.

There weren’t any alerts on the Environment Canada website for Saskatchewan as of 8:45 a.m.

Much of the southern part of the province was battered by a snowstorm Tuesday. According to Environment Canada, 10 to 15 centimetres of snow fell in the Regina area, with some of it melting as soon as it hit the ground.

Still, City of Regina crews were out in full force Tuesday to address the snowfall and ice that built up on roads around the city.