Papineau Avenue, between Sherbrooke and Ontario streets, is closed southbound until at least Tuesday evening due to a subsidence of the roadway. The City of Montreal asks motorists to avoid the area.
Posted at 9:53 p.m.
A hole “smaller than a steering wheel” in the roadway of Papineau Avenue caused quite a rush hour commotion in Montreal on Monday, according to Philippe Sabourin, spokesperson for the City of Montreal. Papineau Avenue, towards the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, one of the major roads linking the metropolis to the South Shore of Montreal, had to be closed urgently. The sector has been paralyzed by major traffic jams.
Even if the hole is small, it is a sign of dangerous erosion under the roadway, which could be caused by a poorly connected sewer, explains Mr. Sabourin.
The road section was quickly closed and secured on Monday. The City of Montreal is currently carrying out emergency work by hydro-excavation, says Mr. Sabourin, that is to say that a jet of water is used to break up the asphalt and get to the sewers. . “It’s a process that takes time, warns the spokesperson. Realistically, it would be surprising if by tomorrow [mardi] late afternoon, it’s over. »
Mr. Sabourin suggests that motorists avoid the area and use other options to exit the island of Montreal, such as the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, the Victoria bridge or the Samuel-De Champlain bridge.