Thick fog blanketed eastern and central parts of Liaoning Province today, forcing six highways to close because of low visibility, Xinhua news agency reported.

Highways from Shenyang to Harbin, Dalian, Dandong, Fushun, Panjing and Shenyang's ring highway were closed at 9:30 am. Most of the coaches from Shenyang have been cancelled. Visibility in some of the worst-hit areas was less than 20 meters, the report said.

The local traffic department has not given the reopening time of the highways.

Snow also came with the heavy fog, making the roads more slippery and the visibility lower, according to the report.

The fog will linger in some eastern and central parts of the province until this afternoon, Shenyang Central Meteorological Observatory said.

(Shanghai Daily December 26, 2007)