Debby continues to give drivers headaches. Montreal had to urgently close a street on Tuesday whose roadway was ripped open by water, and the Quebec Ministry of Transport will take longer than expected to reopen Highway 13.
Friday’s torrential rains took their toll on the roadway under the Salaberry viaduct in Ahuntsic-Cartierville. The lanes had to be closed Tuesday by the City of Montreal because they were showing signs of instability.
The mayor of the borough of Ahunstic-Cartierville, Émilie Thuillier, explained on the sidelines of a press briefing that floods regularly damage the roadway in this area.
She explained that two of the three lanes had already been closed for work in the eastbound direction, but that the consequences of Storm Debby forced the complete closure of the eastbound road.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Montreal has banned traffic under the Salaberry viaduct in one direction due to damage caused by heavy rain.
“We don’t yet know the extent of the damage, so it’s still impossible to know when the road will reopen,” says Émilie Thuillier.
The underpass of the Salaberry viaduct had already been closed by the city after heavy rains in the summer of 2023 flooded it. “Security work” began on September 27 to restore access to motorists.
Highway 13 reopening postponed
It will ultimately take the MTQ a few more days to be able to reopen Highway 13, which was heavily impacted in the Dorval tunnel. The significant damage caused by the torrential rains requires more work than expected, while the lighting and pumping systems have been seriously damaged.
“The ministry was hoping to open for [mercredi]but it seems that this hope has vanished,” explains the spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Gilles Payer.
The road network remains fragile throughout Quebec, particularly in Outaouais, Mauricie and the Laurentians. The MTQ counted about twenty obstructions still in progress this Tuesday afternoon, throughout the province.
“This shows that there are minor obstacles and other more spectacular ones,” explains Gilles Payer. “The teams are working hard to restore mobility wherever possible.”
A dozen roads also remain partially closed or “alternating”.