A notoriously slippery hill in Surrey, B.C., has been closed to traffic after a series of crashes and near-misses during Wednesday’s snowstorm.
Authorities closed off the hill at 104 Avenue and 125 Street before 8:30 a.m., encouraging motorists to find another route for their own safety.
Prior to that, a string of cars, SUVs and even police vehicles struggled to navigate the snow-covered road, with some drivers crashing into yards and power poles.
“This happens every year,” said Mark, a neighbour who came out to watch the chaos unfold. “For the drivers, it’s bad – but for us, it’s great entertainment because we get to watch 2,000-pound sleds go down the hill at 22 per cent grade.”
There was much more snow-related trouble on the roads across the Lower Mainland on Wednesday.
A number of buses became stuck once again, despite TransLink outfitting about one-third of its fleet – or about 500 buses – with winter tires this year.
The transit provider warned passengers to expect delays and cancellations across the system.
Crashes also caused delays for drivers on several major routes, with accidents reported on the Alex Fraser Bridge and near the Massey Tunnel.
The province urged people to stay off of the roads if possible, and an advisory is in effect for Highway 1 from Vancouver to Hope.
“Drivers are advised not to travel unless necessary and only if equipped with winter tires,” reads a message on the DriveBC website.