*Updated at 7:53 p.m. Friday*
Drivers are being urged to stay off the roads until further notice as a winter storm barrels down on southern New Brunswick.
Up to 30 centimetres of snow is expected in Greater Saint John by early Saturday, while the St. Stephen area could see around 15 centimetres.
Strong winds are also causing blowing and drifting snow throughout the region, leading to poor visibility.
Travel is not recommended on several highways, including Route 1 from the Canada / U.S. border to River Glade, and Route 2 from Longs Creek to the Nova Scotia border.
Mark Taylor, a spokesperson with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, said Gateway Operations has pulled all of its plows off Route 1 due to poor visibility.
Taylor said it is just not safe for people to be out there right now and asked people to stay home if at all possible.
You can find the latest road conditions along major routes on NB 511’s website.
The poor driving conditions forced Saint John Transit to pull its buses off the road as of 4 p.m. Friday.
It was the first time this winter they have been forced to suspend their service due to weather conditions.
At one point, several buses were reportedly stuck on Main Street, including some which were sideways.
Emergency crews throughout the Saint John region also responded to a number of collisions throughout the day.
“Due to the current weather conditions, visibility is poor. Please do not travel unless necessary,” the Saint John Police Force posted on Twitter around 3:30 p.m. Friday.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said Gondola Point will be down to one ferry starting at 6 p.m. Friday due to weather conditions. The Belleisle ferry was also taken off its run earlier in the day for the same reason.
Taylor said they are unsure at this point when the two boats will be back up and running on Saturday. He encouraged motorists to check NB 511 for the latest updates.
Heavy snow and high winds in east #SaintJohn at this hour with a lot of blowing and drifting snow.
Police are asking drivers not to travel unless absolutely necessary. #nbstorm pic.twitter.com/4036f8Hfce
— Brad Perry (@BradMPerry) January 7, 2022
Follow
