About thirty roads remain closed for an indefinite period on Monday, more than 72 hours after the passage of the tropical storm. DebbyThe Ministry of Transportation hopes to reopen Highway 13 in Dorval by Wednesday.
Additional pumps have been installed in the Dorval tunnel, which is closed to traffic due to significant water accumulations.
Once drainage is completed, routine inspections will be conducted to ensure that no damage has been done to the structure.
“We plan to reopen Highway 13 by Wednesday, ideally before if possible. It will depend on what we find under the water,” said Gilles Payer, spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
Quebec is also optimistic that it will soon be able to reopen the lane of Highway 440 closed at Highway 13 in Laval.
Elsewhere, motorists will have to be patient, as most secondary roads will remain closed for an indefinite period.
At the height of the storm, “hundreds of roads” were affected, underlines Gilles Payer, which partly explains the delays.
“There are a lot of roads that have reopened or partially reopened, but it’s a case-by-case basis. It’s impossible to predict,” he explains.
According to a report from the Ministry of Public Security issued on Monday, 807 residences were isolated, 347 people were evacuated and 144 roads were affected.
The torrential rains have particularly affected the road network in the Laurentians, Lanaudière and Mauricie regions. And it is not excluded that other roads will be closed to traffic.
Indeed, record rainfall could lead to flash floods.
“There are places that could cause more rockfall,” says Gilles Payer, adding that the ministry’s teams are particularly monitoring roads near waterways.
All affected roads will have to be inspected before they are reopened to ensure their stability. “There are temporary repairs that are being done, and permanent repairs that will have to be done later,” he explains.
Let us remember that it is the municipalities that manage the majority of roads, with Quebec only taking care of highways and national or provincial roads.
It is possible to consult all the restrictions in force on the Québec 511 website.