CORNER BROOK — Road crews from the Department of Transportation and Works were busy on the west coast Monday with heavy rains causing headaches for motorists in the region.
The Port au Port Peninsula was the hardest hit, with water flooding a section of Route 460 in Felix Cove leaving the peninsula inaccessible for a few hours Monday afternoon.
Soon that portion of road re-opened, while routes 463 in West Bay and 460 in Ship Cove were closed because of flooding. These routes remained closed as off press time Monday.
The south shore of the Bay of Islands was also impacted with Route 450 near York Harbour reduced to one lane in sections, due to a large section of shoulder on the bay side being washed out.
The west bound lanes on the access road from Corner Brook to Stephenville were also closed due to flooding.
Meanwhile, the City of Corner Brook has been preparing since last week for the arrival for tropical storm Leslie.
The focus will be on water control and monitoring drainage systems, said Steve May, director of operational services.
A primary concern, he said, will be the North Street system, that directs water running from upper East Valley.
May said the city also has been talking with Corner Brook Pulp and Paper to ensure there is minimal disturbance in the Corner Brook Stream flow.
Crew members will be evaluating head walls, said May, where ditch water transitions into a drainage pipe. There can be a bottle neck effect that happens at the head walls however, May was relieved the system handled Monday’s rain without overflowing.
Crews are also working to redirect water runoff into the storm system with sandbags, said May.
“We’re not unaccustomed to a lot of heavy rainfall here,” he said. “We’ve re-acted and feel very prepared.”
The city doubled its work crew staffing overnight Monday to manage the rainfall and a full crew will be on shift today.
Although the concern is mainly water flow, preparations have been underway to address concerns such as fallen trees.
The city is asking resident to report any excessive water flow or other hazards resulting from Leslie by calling 637-1666.
Fire and Emergency Services - Newfoundland and Labrador is also asking residents to brace for Leslie with more potential of flooding, power outages or other potential impacts.
To ensure resources are available where and when needed, the department has placed temporary bridges throughout the province, and have road crews on standby to respond when and where needed.
