Motorists travelling along the westbound Highway 402 Tuesday should be prepared to slow down or stop.
Commercial traffic headed for the Blue Water Bridge was backed up to near Airport Road at times. However, by late Tuesday afternoon, westbound traffic was backed up to Mandaumin Road.
Lambton OPP is asking motorists to plan alternative routes into the city of Sarnia. OPP also advised the public of delays on county roads due to high traffic volume. Police said to ensure the safety of all motorists and pedestrians, OPP will have a presence in affected areas.
Cst. Jamie Bydeley realizes drivers are stuck and frustrated, but said the rules of the road still need to be followed.
"That includes not reversing on a highway with speeds greater than 80 kilometres per hour and not maneuvering your vehicle to travel the wrong direction within the eastbound or westbound lanes," said Bydeley. "This obviously causes a safety concern for other motorists on the road. We understand there's congestion there. We're encouraging people to plan their trips ahead and find an alternate route to their destination."
Cst. Bydeley said it's also important to keep the shoulders clear for emergency vehicle access.
Coming into Canada, the Michigan Department of Transportation is also reporting delays at the crossing.
Please note that there is a delay for those headed eastbound approaching the Blue Water Bridge, due to trucker protests in Detroit and the Ambassador Bridge being closed by police. Please drive safely and we appreciate your patience. #MDOT— MDOT BlueWaterBridge (@MDOT_BWB) February 8, 2022
The increased traffic is due to ongoing anti-COVID mandate demonstrations at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor.
The bridge was closed at 10:30 p.m. Monday. U.S. bound traffic started moving, slowly, just after 6 a.m. Tuesday, however the bridge remains closed to those entering Canada at Detroit.
A similar protest was held in Sarnia Sunday. Farm vehicles parked themselves on the westbound Highway 402 at Front Street, resulting in OPP closing the highway between Modeland Road and the Blue Water Bridge for about nine hours.
