Highway 17 has been re-opened from Shabaqua to Ignace.
The stretch of highway was closed for a few hours Wednesday due to an accident.
An eyewitness told our newsroom that two transport trucks collided.
Check Ontario 511 for live details. Updates to come.
There’s some help for anyone stranded on Highway 17 in the Ignace Area.
The Trans-Canada Distress Center has been set up for vehicle break-downs, tire changes or just a free cup of coffee for tired motorists.
Norm Price operates the center and says they provide help in all sorts of situations.
“People have gone through breakdowns, busting a belt, running out fuel, blown tires, blown engines,” says Price.
“I got the idea just by the amount of calls that we get after hours. I’m listed through Google under Ignace Convenience as 24 hour location and I’ve since decided to use it as a distress (center).”
Price adds the service has also been used during all the road closures this winter.
“Obviously we have a few people coming in. But we’ve had a few people coming in saying ‘hey, all the motels are booked up and ‘we don’t know where to go’. I say you’re more than welcome to stay here in my shop.”
Price says while the Trans-Canada Distress Center is busy during the winter months, it’s also available during the summer.
He adds they are accepting donations through their Go Fund Me site: www.gofundme.com/f/trans-canada-travel-distress-center
The city of Dryden will use federal gas tax money to offset a budget shortfall for new traffic lights along Highway 17.
The city is replacing eight sets of light, some of which have been in place for 40 years.
Only only bid was received, and that was from Kenora-based Moncrief Construction.
Its initial bid came in at over $1.4 million. With hardware and engineering costs factored in, the total cost of the project came in $600 thousand higher than anticipated.
Public Workers Manager Blake Poole says materials costs had a lot to do with the higher price.
“Pricing just on wiring and a lot of other things were a lot higher. Concrete came in slightly higher. There were a couple of areas though we were a little surprised by, but a lot of it, they said, had to do with the mobilization and demobilization for the contractors,” says Poole.
Poole says they were able to lower the final cost a little but still needed $475-thousand in gas tax money.
The city received a grant last year from the Ministry of Transportation of almost $1.2 million. The city’s share is $133 thousand.
You can expect heavy traffic in the Kenora area over the next few days.
The western end of the Kenora By-Pass will be completely closed to traffic Wednesday and Thursday from Highway 596 right to the end.
That heavy traffic will come from the detour for eastbound traffic.
Those vehicles will go through Keewatin and then along Lakeview Drive before turning north at the roundabout and rejoining the bypass at Veterans Drive.
The westbound traffic shouldn’t impact the city too much; that detour takes them along Highways 596 and 641.
The detours are due to work being done by Tycon Construction along the By-Pass, which has caused delays over recent weeks.
OPP have confirmed that two people are dead after a crash 15 kilometres east of Ignace.
Around 2:30 am Thursday morning, officers from the Ignace and Dryden Detachments of the OPP responded to a crash on Highway 17.
Three transports were involved in the crash, with two travelling west and one travelling east.
Two occupants of one of the West bound units were pronounced dead.
The identities of the deceased are being withheld until next of kin can be contacted.
Other occupants had serious, but non-life threatening injuries and were transported to hospital.
Cause of the crash is under investigation and Highway 17 was closed until 7 PM.
Update: #Closure #Shabaqua #HWY11 at #Hwy17 Shabaqua – All lanes remain closed in both directions due to a collision. Traffic control is in place. Please use caution in the area. #ONHwys
— 511ONNorthwestern (@511ONNorthwest) August 20, 2020
Provincial Police are investigating a fatal motor vehicle collision on Highway 17, about 15 kilometres east of Ignace.
The crash was reported around 4:30 Thursday morning and involved three transports.
Pictures released by OPP show a large section of the Trans-Canada covered in lumber.
Highway 17 remains closed in both directions between Shabaqua and in Ignace at 599.
It’s not known when the road will reopen.
No other details have been released.
Highway 17 east of Ignace is closed in both directions due to a motor vehicle collision.
The crash was reported around 4:30 Thursday morning and happened on the Trans-Canada between the Highway 11 junction and Highway 599.
The exact location for those familiar is between Bonheur Road North and Sowden Lake Resort.
Provincial Police are on scene.
No other details have been released.
ROAD CLOSURE: Hwy 17 between Hwy 11 Junction #Shabaqua and Hwy 599 #Ignace – Road CLOSED following collision, #OPP on scene. ^lm
— OPPCommunicationsNWR (@OPP_COMM_NWR) August 20, 2020
An update on a sudden road closure in the City of Dryden.
Officials say as of 2pm, Cecil Avenue and Highway 17 are reopened to traffic.
Emergency repairs have been completed and Public Works thanks the public for their patience.
Expect some delays if you are travelling east this morning. (Friday)
Traffic control is in place on Highway 17, east of Upsala, near Little Savanne River.
That section of the Trans-Canada was briefly closed due to a motor vehicle collision.
No injuries are reported and motorists can expect delays.
The MP for Kenora is looking for answers on the twinning of Highway 17 between Kenora and the Ontario/Manitoba boundary.
Eric Melillo has submitted an Order Paper Question asking for detailed information from the government about the project.
Melillo is seeking the total amount of money the federal government has allocated to date for the project, when the money was set aside and under what program.
The Conservative member also wants to know if the Trudeau Liberals are sticking to a commitment to fund 50-per cent of the project, with the province picking up the other half.
Melillo says the dangerous conditions on that stretch of road is a “national issue” and he will pressure the feds to contribute their share.
The Ontario government has pledged to put shovels in the ground by the summer of 2020.
The government has within 45 days to respond to the request.
