Hours after RCMP said Highway 43 was impassable due to slick conditions, police said lanes had reopened, but motorists were still advised to drive cautiously.
While RCMP around the Metro Region issued warnings to drivers over slick road conditions, St. Albert temporarily suspended transit service.
In an online update, St. Albert Transit said severe ice conditions on roads prompted them to suspend service as of 10:30 a.m. Friday, with public updates expected every half hour.
Meanwhile, RCMP in Leduc and Stony Plain/Spruce Grove/Enoch RCMP said highways and roads are slick with ice, and travel is not recommended.
West of Edmonton, a number of rollovers and collisions along Highway 16 had been reported – but no injuries were reported.
Later on, RCMP said Highway 43, north of Highway 16, was impassable and drivers were advised to avoid it and a tow advisory was in place with limited access to tow trucks. After noon, RCMP said conditions had improved and both lanes were open to traffic, but there was still a long wait for tow trucks.
Late Friday morning, police said Highway 44 was impassable northbound and southbound due to a two vehicle collision near Township Road 540 south of Villeneuve.
In the Leduc area, drivers were advised to slow down and drive cautiously due to rainfall leaving slippery road conditions.
Freezing rain warnings issued for Edmonton, surrounding regions
Before 9 a.m. Friday, Environment Canada issued freezing rain warnings for the Edmonton Metro Region, and surrounding areas.
According to the warning, freezing rain had been reported in Whitecourt, Stony Plain and Barrhead, and the weather system is tracking southeast toward Edmonton and surrounding areas.
The freezing rain warning ended Friday afternoon.
Edmonton police said there were a total of 125 collisions between 5:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.: One-hundred and three property damage, 18 hit-and-runs and four injury collisions.
