COUTTS, Alta. - Traffic is flowing slowly through the Coutts border crossing in southern Alberta this morning after protesters against vaccine mandates and other COVID-19 restrictions blocked vehicles from passing through Monday night.
Alberta RCMP Cpl. Curtis Peters says a path has been cleared but movement remains "super restrictive" at the U.S. border and the situation remains fluid.
Just after 10 p.m. on Monday, RCMP tweeted that both north and southbound lanes on Highway 4 were blocked and asked motorists to avoid the area.
Trucks and other vehicles began parking on the highway near Coutts on Jan. 29 in solidarity with similar protests in Ottawa and across the country over vaccine mandates for cross-border truck drivers and broader public health measures.
One blockade became two when a second one appeared further up the highway.
The impasse stranded travellers and cross-border truckers for days, compromised millions of dollars in trade and impeded access to basic goods and medical services for area residents.
Last week, protesters agreed to open a single lane in each direction for traffic and so truckers could haul their loads across the border.
