Thousands of liters of white paint spilled Tuesday on a vast portion of the Metropolitan highway after a truck lost its load, forcing the closure of this nerve center at the start of the day. The Ministry of Transport will now have to carry out a complex clean-up operation.
The event occurred around 7:50 a.m., during the morning rush hour, near Côte-Vertu Boulevard, on the Métropolitaine highway.
For a reason which has not yet been specified by the authorities, a truck from the Minimax Express Transportation company “lost its load” which contained between 10,000 and 20,000 liters of white paint, said Sarah Bensadoun, spokesperson. word of the Ministry of Transport.
The paint then spilled everywhere on the roadway of the highway between Côte-Vertu Boulevard and the exit leading to Cavendish Boulevard, even as several motorists were driving on this axis in the northwest of Montreal.
For the moment, the entire portion of the highway that was affected will remain closed “for an indefinite period,” says M.me Bensadoun.
She specifies that the cleaning operation will be “quite complex” and should take several hours. This will involve several stakeholders. The Sûreté du Québec, but also the Urgence-Environnement group and the Montreal Fire Safety Service (SIM) are on site. The ministry also sent a road control team there to ensure public safety.
“We have also closed access to the drainage systems and sumps to avoid spillage into the pipes. We currently have tankers, pumps and mechanical brooms on site to carry out the cleaning. It is not impossible that other resources will be added along the way,” said the ministry spokesperson.
Quebec recommends that motorists avoid the area for the entire day on Tuesday, as much as possible. In order to access the east of the island, the government recommends opting for Autoroute 20 Est and Route 136. Otherwise, users will have to exit at Côte-Vertu Boulevard and will be able to re-enter the Métropolitaine Autoroute from the Cavendish Boulevard. However, congestion could then be expected.
Each year, on average, the Ministry of Transport uses approximately 3.5 million liters of white paint to mark lines on the various highways in the province.