Snapped hydro pole shuts down portion of Highway 401 near Chatham

Part of Highway 401 is closed near Chatham after high winds snapped a hydro pole in half, according to Ontario Provincial Police.

• Wild wind knocks out power to thousands in Windsor region

Electrical wires hung close to the highway near Scane Road, about 25 minutes north east of Chatham, prompting police to shut down the westbound lanes of the highway at Victoria Road.

Police received the call about a traffic hazard around 2 p.m. at the height of a windstorm that wreaked havoc throughout southwestern Ontario.

The highway was expected to be closed for about 3 hours.

Police shut down several roads Wednesday, including those in West Lorne, Bright, Thamesford, Tillsonburg and Dutton.