Push on for gridlock detour strategy

Organizations responsible for traffic management in Hamilton met this week to look at detour planning even before a fiery truck crash closed the Toronto-bound lanes of the Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway, Thursday.

That crash jammed up the Red Hill Valley and Lincoln M. Alexander parkways for hours as cars and trucks detoured around the bay.

The meeting earlier this week was prompted by a July 16 accident on Highway 403 that closed it as well as westbound entrance ramps on the Lincoln Parkway, creating chaos as traffic used the Linc, Red Hill and Skyway as well as alternate routes to Burlington and Toronto through west Hamilton, Dundas and Waterdown.

Hart Solomon, manager of traffic engineering and operations for the city, said yesterday: "We recognize highways are getting busier as evidenced by the event (Thursday) morning, and that it will happen again.

"We already had a co-ordinating meeting earlier this week involving the Ontario Provincial Police, Hamilton Police Services, Ministry of Transportation and ourselves.

"We are looking at having more of a plan in place, but it is very complex and will take a while.