Transport trucks no match for Wreckhouse gusts

Winds in one of the most notorious stretches of highway in Newfoundland and Labrador proved too much for some truckers Wednesday.

Two large transport trucks were blown off the highway at Wreckhouse, which for decades has had a reputation for high winds, often topping 100 kilometres per hour.

RCMP said the two trucks were blown off the highway within an hour of each other on Wednesday afternoon.

Police said the two drivers were treated in hospital with minor injuries.

On Thursday, the trucks lay on the side of the Trans-Canada Highway as other motorists cautiously passed.

Driving conditions in western Newfoundland were hampered not only by high winds. Forceful rainfalls also made transportation difficult through the day.

As of Thursday morning, the two rigs were still on the side of the highway, waiting for equipment to remove them.

The stretch of highway at Wreckhouse is uninhabited, but it was named for the phenomenon of exceedingly high winds that funnel through the Long Range Mountains in southwestern Newfoundland. The legend of the area dates back to the 19th century, when the newly built Newfoundland Railway had to take great care on especially windy days.

Truckers heading across Newfoundland have no choice but to travel through the Wreckhouse area, as it is the only highway route connecting the ferry terminal at Port aux Basques and the rest of the island.