(Rosemère) Highway 640 was closed for several hours on Saturday between Rosemère and Lorraine, in the Lower Laurentians, because of a gas leak.
Posted at 9:53 a.m.
Updated at 2:09 p.m.
The lanes in both directions were closed around 8:45 a.m. According to initial findings on site, construction work under an overpass on Highway 640 was involved.
“There is work that was carried out by a third party who hooked an underground natural gas pipe,” said Élaine Arsenault, spokesperson for Énergir in an interview with The Canadian Press.
Mme Arsenault announced shortly after 1:30 p.m. that the leak had been sealed. She added that authorities plan to reopen the highway in two stages.
Around 2 p.m., the Sûreté du Québec tweeted that the highway had reopened in both directions.
No one was injured, but the closure of this important highway link in the Rosemère, Sainte-Thérèse and Blainville sectors caused a lot of trouble for motorists.
“There is a security perimeter that was erected by the fire services. The leak is under control and poses no danger to the safety of the population,” said Énergir’s spokesperson. Many shops are in the area.
Many police officers were also called in for assistance, including those from the Sûreté du Québec, said information officer Nicolas Scholtus of the SQ.
Highway 640 was closed between Route 117 in Rosemère and Boulevard de Gaulle in Lorraine. There was no evacuation.