Downed hydro wires have sparked chaos on one of the area's busiest highways.
This afternoon, the Orillia OPP were called with reports of "low-hanging lines in the area of Hampshire Mills Lane on the northbound side of the road," explained Orillia OPP Acting Sergeant Brett Boniface.
He said police shut down the northbound lanes of the highway for safety concerns at around 3 p.m.
Hydro One crews were called and are on the scene. As a result of the downed wires, many people in that area remain without electricity.
"Police shut down the southbound lanes due to a downed wire, in order to facilitate repairs and maintain public safety," Boniface told OrilliaMatters this evening, saying it's unsure what caused the issue with the wires.
As a result of the highway shutdown, traffic is being rerouted southbound at Telford Line and northbound at West Street, causing long backups and heavy traffic on those roads as traffic is diverted from the highway.
As of 9:30 p.m., both sides of the highway remained closed.
