OTTAWA -- Highway 417, between Pinecrest Road and Woodroffe Avenue was re-opened to traffic early Monday afternoon after the police bomb squad found there were no explosives in a car that had been pulled over on a traffic stop at about 8:30 a.m.

Traffic on the city's main artery and adjacent roads was at a standstill for almost four hours and morning rush hour traffic re-routed while a robot picked through the car and later officers in bomb disposal suits and the canine unit examined the vehicle.

A man driving the car was scheduled to appear in court on fraud and weapons charges this morning. He was pulled over by police at about 8 a.m., allegedly because he made some kind of threat about blowing up the courthouse.

The man was charged in May 2003 along with a former Ottawa police Const. and an RCMP officer and area firefighter with trafficking of police equipment and ammunition. He faces several other charges in the Durham region.

Citizen reporters and photographers are chasing this breaking news story and we'll have full details in Tuesday's paper.

Do you have a story to tell about today's traffic nightmare? How long were you stuck on the Queensway or sidestreets? How long did it take you to get to work? How many people at your office were late this morning? If you have a story to tell, please email us at citizenfeedback@canada.com. Be sure to include a daytime AND evening contact number so that our reporter can reach you.