You're reading: 20-kilometer traffic jam blocks Kyiv-Chop highway in snowy Lviv region

LVIV - Heavy snowfalls trapped hundreds of vehicles on Kyiv-Chop highway in Ukraine's Lviv region on December 16, regional emergency situations department spokesman Pavlo Vasylenko told Interfax-Ukraine.

“The traffic jam between Buh and Brody districts is about 20
kilometers long. High winds impede the snow cleaning: snow covers the
highway again several minutes after snow ploughs are done cleaning.
Hundreds of vehicles are stranded,” he said.

Forty-four vehicles, including four buses, were released from the
snow trap over the night. There were 26 Belarusian children on one of
the buses. They were taken to the nearest village. The children are all
right, Vasylenko said.

Mostly, snowfalls trapped trucks. One lane was kept vacant so that snow ploughs could work, he said.

“Speeding drivers add to the problem – they try to break free from
the jam but get stuck in the middle of the road and create additional
difficulties,” Vasylenko said.

Bad weather in a number of Ukrainian regions created traffic jams
early in the morning on December 16. About 1,000 vehicles got stuck.