A travel advisory and lane restrictions have been issues for the Unity/ Wilkie/ Macklin area on Highway #14 due to a semi roll-over.
Unity RCMP advise traffic is down to one lane on Highway #14 just southeast of Wilkie as a semi-tractor carrying fuel rolled due to extremely icy road conditions and wind-gusts. Emergency personnel is on scene while the fuel tanks are unloaded to another fuel truck, and while the fuel spillage is properly contained and cleaned up.
Police say highways in the Unity and Wilkie area, including Highways 14, 21, 29 and rural roads in the area are extremely icy. Current weather conditions have worsened and blowing snow is causing several portions of the highways and their intersections to be hazardous.
RCMP expect traffic flow will be slowed for a number of hours due to poor driving conditions that are impacting the recovery of the fuel-tanker truck. Those areas where emergency personnel are working are restricted to 60km/hrs maximum. Fines begin at $300 for passing workers roadside at unsafe speeds.
RCMP is also reminding the public that the department of highways is diligently working to ensure highways are cleared and sanded. Under the Traffic Safety Act, no-one may pass a snow plow in operation with its amber and blue lights activated at a speed greater then 60 KM/HR (including the Highway). These operators have training to pull over every so often to allow the flow of traffic to continue. Fines begin at $120 at 10 km/hr over.
