Route 101 is completely closed to traffic near Poularies, in Abitibi-Ouest.
The closed section of the road is located 450 meters north of the intersection with Route 390, between rue Drouin and avenue du Coteau.
The 55.6 km detour takes place on routes 390, 393 and 111.
Municipal mayor Pierre Godbout pointed out that part of the road collapsed. As a precautionary measure, the Ministry of Transportation ordered a complete closure on Thursday afternoon.
The Ministry of Transport fears that other crevasses will form in the culvert fighting the erosion.
Engineers from outside the region were on site on Friday to assess the condition.
Still according to the mayor of Poularies, delays of just over four months are expected to make the bypass and continue road repairs.
The Ministère des Transports invites road users to consult the Québec 511 site to learn about current and future obstacles.
Changes in school transportation
In connection with this closure, the Center de services scolaire du Lac-Abitibi issued a press release to inform parents of the changes to be made in school transportation.
The latter is maintained, but delays are expected.
Students attending the Pavillon de Poularies, the Pavillon Le Séjour and the Cité Étudiante Polyno are affected by the changes.
A telephone communication will be made with the parents concerned on Thursday night, stating the boarding time scheduled for Friday morning.
Myriam Mercury, driver of the school bus in Poularies, reported that this closure was causing a headache. For some students, the closed culvert is between their school and their home.
This is a good 1 hour 15 more per dayhe says, because the detour to be made represents approximately 35 additional minutes, morning and evening. We had no choice but to make a detour for those living after the bridge, which was closed, he added. This is very problematic.
Myriam Mercury reports that a meeting is due to take place on Friday morning to arrange transportation for the coming weeks.
Source: Radio-Canada
