Highway 75 south of Winnipeg on Thursday, January 8, 2015. (CHRISD.CA)
WINNIPEG — Blowing snow and poor visibility has closed the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg to Portage la Prairie.
A multi-vehicle crash near Elie, Manitoba shortly before noon Thursday had STARS Air Ambulance respond to the eastbound lanes of Highway 1. RCMP say two semi-trailer trucks and a pickup truck were involved. The man driving the pickup truck was taken to hospital in stable condition.
Weather conditions also forced the closure of Highway 5 from McCreary to Highway 68, which reopened just after 3 p.m. Highway 75 from Morris to the U.S. border remains closed.
Blowing snow advisories remain in effect for Portage la Prairie, Headingley, Brunkild, Carman, Brandon, Carberry, Treherne, Virden, Souris, Melita, Boissevain, Turtle Mountain Provincial Park, Killarney, Pilot Mound, Manitou, Morden, Winkler, Altona, Emerson, Morris, Steinbach, St. Adolphe, Dominion City, Vita and Richer.
Inside the city, crews are continuing to sand streets after a couple centimetres of snow fell overnight. Starting tonight, grader plows will continue to scrape down compacted snow and ruts which formed due to cold weather and high winds after last weekend’s snowfall.
The city says sidewalk clearing was completed on Wednesday, but the sanding and plowing of sidewalks impacted by drifting is being carried out as required.
Updated at 3:15 p.m.
