New signs are helping keep Northern Ontario drivers in the know about road closures and winter storms,
Ontario has added more than 20 mobile signs along Northern highways, including 11, 17 and 144.
Regional traffic centres will update the signs with "crucial road safety information" in real time, said Ministry of Transportation senior communications advisor Dakota Brasier in an email.
Signs in the area include Highway 144 northbound south of the watershed rest area, Highway 17 eastbound at Wahnipitae patrol yard, and Highway 17 westbound at the south east by-pass, southbound.
The cost of the signs was not provided by the province. No one was made available to comment about the additions.
"The government is taking action to improve safety on roads during the winter months in Northern Ontario. Installing additional portable variable message signs increases awareness about upcoming winter storms and highway closures, and gives drivers the real-time information they need if the highway is closed. These additional signs have been installed in key locations along the highway corridor based on road closure analysis. All signs are portable," said Brasier in response to a handful of questions about the new signs.
The full list of where the signs can be found is:
- Highway 102 EB near Jct Hwy 11/17
- Highway 102 WB near Jct Mapleward Road
- Highway 11 & 17 SB at North Bay west of Highway 17 Ramp
- Highway 11 EB at Hearst Patrol Yard
- Highway 11 NB at Englehart Patrol Yard
- Highway 11 NB at Gravenhurst Layby north of Patrol Yard
- Highway 11 NB at IMOS Yard south of Highway 11/ Highway 65 intersection (Temiskaming Shores)
- Highway 11 NB at Novar NB Truck Inspection Station
- Highway 11 SB at Novar SB Truck Inspection Station
- Highway 11 WB at Cochrane Inspection Station
- Highway 144 Nb at Rest Area south of Highway 144/ Highway 560 intersection (the Watershed)
- Highway 17 EB at Wahnapitae Patrol Yard
- Highway 17 WB at Southeast By-pass, southbound
- Highway 400 NB at Huntsville NB Truck Inspection Station
- Highway 17 WB at White River Patrol Yard
- Highway 11 WB at Kapuskasing Patrol Yard
- Highway 17 EB near Manitoba Border at Border Park
- Highway 17 WB at Vermillion Bay Manitoba Border at Border Park
- TBay East CDMC Highway 11/17 Junction at Nipigon
- TBay East CDMC Highway 11 at Junction at Nipigon
- TBay East CDMC - Highway 17 at Junction at Nipigon
- TBay West AMC - Highway 17 at west end of Ignace - Lodge Lake
- TBay West AMC - Highway 17 at Highway 599 east end of Ignace
- Marathon MDMC - Highway 17 east or west of Highway 627
- Marathon MDMC - Highway 17 at Marathon PY
- TBay West AMC - Highway 17 and Highway 622 intersection
- TBay West AMC - Highway 622 and Highway 11 B intersection
More details on the provincial standards for winter road maintenance are available here.