‘Extreme weather’: Police shut down Gardiner, DVP amid winter storm

Toronto police temporarily shut down the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway on Monday, as a winter storm walloped the city and the GTA.

“Due to extreme weather and for the safety of drivers, the Toronto Police is temporarily closing the DVP and Gardiner. All ramps will be closed,” police said in a tweet.

“This is to help move any existing vehicles that are stuck and allow snow plows to clear the routes.”

In an update just before 2 p.m., police said the Gardiner has fully reopened. The southbound DVP has also fully reopened but the northbound DVP remains closed.

UPDATE: Eastbound and westbound Gardiner is now fully open. Eastbound drivers on Gardiner will need to exit at Jarvis or before. Northbound DVP remains closed and southbound DVP is fully open. ^CdKhttps://t.co/zawMQwOvOb

— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) January 17, 2022

Toronto and the GTA are under a blizzard warning as historic snowfall that began on Sunday night continues throughout most of the day on Monday.

Environment Canada is calling for up to 60 centimetres of snow in some parts of the region by Monday.

RELATED: What are Toronto’s snow-clearing guidelines and when will your area be plowed?

Police are asking residents in the GTA to stay off the roads if they can, as officers respond to numerous calls and snowplows continue their snow-removal work.

Sgt. Melissa Kulik with Traffic Services said a lot of the calls they’ve received are “hazards, cars broken down, cars that have been involved in collisions, so the calls for service are piling up across the GTA.”

CityNews 680 traffic reporter Craig Gear said vehicles in Toronto are not moving especially in areas with hills.

“The main roads have been plowed so they are doing a little better than the side roads. Cars are bottoming out on the drifts as you make the turn from the main roads to the side roads. Multiple problems across the GTA … the 400-series highways, down to a standstill in multiple spots,” Gear said.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said drivers can’t move on Highway 401 due to the massive accumulation of snow and some snowplows are stuck as well.

If you’re stuck in the snow, try turning off your traction control. #OnStorm #ShouldHaveStayedHome https://t.co/SliZXMVl6p

— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) January 17, 2022

Listen to CityNews 680 traffic for the latest updates on road conditions and closures.

____

With files from Michael Ranger of CityNews