Whiteouts close Highway 400 from Cookstown to Barrie

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) shut down Highway 400 between the Cookstown exit and Mapleview Drive in Barrie for several hours Friday due to zero visibility and several collisions in the area.

On Friday afternoon, a dozen vehicles, including two transport trucks, were involved in a collision on Highway 400 at Mapleview Drive. Southbound lanes were closed temporarily before reopening. They are once again closed.

Police didn’t report any serious injuries.

"This is by far the worst I've seen in a long time. Fortunately, this is all-encompassing; traffic is relatively slow everywhere; we're not seeing a lot of high speed into zero visibility," said Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, OPP.

"Anytime you're travelling, be very careful, and as the sun heads down and we get into darkness, it's going to be even more treacherous." 

"Public Works crews are out and working hard to clear roads and sidewalks. Crews will continue operations throughout the day and into the weekend as needed," The Town of Collingwood posted on social media. 

Reopening efforts of Hwy. 400 started shortly after 6 p.m. Friday. 

REOPENING EFFORTS ON #Hwy400 is commencing. This will take time, but I expect the closures between #Hwy89 and Maple View Drive will be reopened early this evening. Thank you for your patience. #OnStorm pic.twitter.com/gdb2cgFWZw

— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) February 3, 2023

Snow squall warnings continue to be in effect across central Ontario.