Commuters who take 176 Street woke up to a mess this morning on the busy thoroughfare following a tropical storm that hit Metro Vancouver the night before.
A gas leak in the 1500-block of 176 Street that closed down the street for hours this morning was just one incident that clogged the area.
According to Fortis BC, a call came in at 6:30 a.m. about the gas leak, which was caused by a third-party crew.
"That means the damage was caused by a crew other than our own," Fortis BC spokesperson David Wiley said Tuesday morning. "We closed (the street) just to make the area safe. Now that gas is under control, we will begin to repair."
Shortly after 9 a.m., the northbound lane was opened to alternating traffic, however, southbound between 16 and 8 avenues remained closed.
Part of that was due to a semi-truck that went into a ditch as the driver attempted to do a u-turn due to the gas-leak closure, blocking 176 Street at 12 Avenue completely.
Commuters diverted from 176 Street westbound along 16 Avenue had a slow go due to a three-vehicle crash at 168 Street.
Few details were available this morning, however, police say no injuries were reported, and traffic southbound on 168 Street was diverted along 184 Street until the vehicles were cleared from the scene.
Environment Canada continues to warn Metro Vancouver residents of heavy rainfall this morning that is expected to continue until at least Wednesday.
– files from Tracy Holmes