Kingston gridlock caused by motorists failing to follow EDRs, say police

Highway 401 got back to normal through Kingston Friday, following Thursday’s day-long closure of the eastbound lanes between Montreal Street and Highway 15.

But the day of downtown gridlock has raised questions about why many drivers didn’t follow the Emergency Detour Route (EDR) that goes north of the city.

“People were getting angry,” Sharon McCaugherty says. “They were yelling. I was getting frustrated. Because it wasn’t moving.”

McCaugherty, who works in downtown Kingston, was one of thousands stuck in gridlock traffic on her way home. She says, it took her two and a half hours to move less than a kilometer from Barrie to Ontario street on Queen Street.

“I sat at the Barrie and Queen Street light for 16 green turns. So, it turned green 16 times before we even moved,” McCaugherty says.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I sat at the Barrie and Queen Street light for 16 green turns. So, it turned green 16 times before we even moved," McCaugherty says.

The downtown gridlock was caused by traffic being diverted off Highway 401 after a fiery transport truck crash at 2:30 a.m. Thursday shut the eastbound lanes.

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But the question being asked by many on Friday, was where were the police’ and why did motorists not follow the EDRs off Highway 401?

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The OPP has authority over the 401 and all the on and off ramps throughout the region. But when a ramp ends at a municipal road, the authority then transfers over to the Kingston Police Service.

There were no OPP or Kingston Police Traffic Unit officers assigned to Montreal Street off ramp throughout the day Thursday.

Cst. Curtis Dick with the OPP says that is because officers do not have the authority to force motorists to follow the Emergency Detour Route – the signs are only there as a suggested alternative.

“We are trying to continually educate the public, as to the reason to use the EDRs and to have faith in the signage.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We are trying to continually educate the public, as to the reason to use the EDRs and to have faith in the signage."

“Although it may be slower, you will move around the incident in safety and then be on your way,” Dick says.

Sgt. Darren Keuhl, who heads up the Kingston Police Traffic Unit, says staffing issues kept them from sending anyone, but also blames driver reliance on apps. He says highway motorists using GPS, instead of following the posted EDR routes, contributed to the gridlock in the downtown core.

The eastbound lanes of Highway 401 where reopened shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday night, almost 21-hours after they were closed.