Traffic flowing on Trans-Canada between Regina and Moose Jaw

A five-kilometre-long traffic jam on the Trans-Canada Highway between Regina and Moose Jaw was cleared up Wednesday afternoon.

That stretch of road was closed Wednesday morning due to road conditions and due to a series of collisions that had occurred Tuesday night during the snowstorm.

The closure ended Wednesday at about 3:30 p.m.

In an email, the RCMP said traffic was moving and the road had been plowed. Traffic still wasn’t recommended in that area by the Highway Hotline, but the RCMP said things were better than they were early in the day.

The Mounties said the first crash was a result of four vehicles being stuck and snow piling up around them. That resulted in a five-kilometre-long line of vehicles in the eastbound lanes.

“The eastbound lanes of the Highway 1 were blocked due to some previous collisions,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Sauve, the commander of the White Butte detachment. “People had either stopped to help or had bumped into other vehicles because the visibility was so poor.

“When other vehicles stopped, it created snowdrifts and that prevented other vehicles from being able to drive towards Regina. It caused a pileup approximately five kilometres long by the time we were able to start clearing it off (Wednesday) morning.”

The Mounties had to wait for heavy equipment from the Ministry of Highways to arrive to clear the snow and make the road passable. But conditions remained bad throughout the day.

“Visibility was very poor with the blowing snow through most of the day,” Sauve said. “I just encourage everyone to check the Highway Hotline before they venture out onto the highway and to drive for road conditions that you might see out there.

“The wind might die down (Wednesday night), but the roads will probably still be in pretty rough condition.”

In its email, the RCMP said several vehicles were still in the ditch or on the shoulder of the highway. They’re to be removed in the coming days by their owners.

Officers also have marked vehicles with police tape to show they’ve been checked for occupants.

The Mounties said officers across the province responded between midnight Tuesday and 9 a.m. Wednesday to 79 collisions and 28 reports of traffic hazards, including vehicles that were stuck or abandoned.

The police also suggested drivers should stay home if they could.

“Just because the snow has let up a bit doesn’t mean you should be hitting the road just yet,” Supt. Grant St. Germaine, the officer in charge of Saskatchewan RCMP’s Traffic Services, said in a release.

“They are still snow-covered and icy in many places due to changing weather conditions, and officers throughout Saskatchewan continue to respond to reports of motor vehicle collisions today.”

One of those occurred on the Trans-Canada around 3:45 p.m., two kilometres east of Balgonie in the westbound lanes.