Restoring roads after the floods: safety of users above all

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Ville de Gatineau

News release

Restoring roads after the floods: safety of users above all

Gatineau, May 12, 2017. – Gatineau would like to remind residents that even though water levels are gradually receding, it is too soon to change the status of some streets. Indeed, some streets could remain closed or restricted to local traffic only until they are repaired. The City wants to repair its roads as soon as possible, but this cannot occur at the expense of the safety of road users.

Recovery plan

●	The first steps of Gatineau's recovery plan have been triggered. This plan will span over several weeks.

●	Hundreds of municipal employees have been assigned to these operations, and extraordinary means have been deployed. - The main municipal departments involved are Service des travaux publics, Service des infrastructures, Service de l'environnement, Service de sécurité incendie and Service de police.

●	Among other things, municipal departments must check the condition of the roads and the behaviour of the pavement before allowing any reopening.

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Municipal departments are conducting inspections on road infrastructures and terrain.
- The behaviour of the pavement and shoulders needs to be watched.
- Gatineau must also find potential damage requiring work before reopening a road.
- Temporary and permanent repairs to be completed must be planned.

●	Clean-up and repair efforts have also begun on some pavements. Among other things, we need to make sure that no debris or litter are found on the driving lanes or shoulders.

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Concretely, Gatineau is working on the following, among other things:
- Inspecting culverts: Following an inspection, it has already been determined that the Chimo and Vanier culverts (in the Aylmer sector) will have to be rebuilt.
- Checking for erosion at banked edges and on Streets : E.g., fissures, rutting, holes and settlement, potholes, etc.
- Checking the water flow and the condition of drainage wells.
- Removing the rockfilling put in place on the Streets.
- Cleaning up the Streets: Removing debris that could impede traffic and reporting an obstruction when debris cannot be moved.
- Inspecting and securing roads, sidewalks and biking trails: Implementing adequate signage as needed.
- Inspecting municipal buildings and facilities.
- Inspecting and ensuring the proper operation of traffic lights.
- Removing barricades and ensuring a return to normal traffic signals.
- Restoring waste removal services.
- Collecting individual debris and personal effects that people need to dispose of.

Impacts of a flooded pavement

●	Water saturation on the pavement can lead to a loss of bearing capacity, among other things; 2 to 15 times more damage can be noticed.

●	The impacts of a flood are akin to the impacts of a thaw on the condition of the pavement.

●	The complete recovery following a flood can span over several weeks.

Reminder – Status on roads for the morning rush hour

●	During the morning rush hour today, both lanes of the Alonzo-Wright Bridge are one way (to Saint-Joseph Boulevard). The return to two-way lanes should occur after rush hour, around 9:30 a.m.

●	As a reminder, Highway 50 has reopened in both directions. Access ramps from Saint-Louis Street remain closed.

●	Public transportation is still free on STO's entire network and will remain so until the end of bus operations on the night of Friday to Saturday. - STO is also collecting, on its buses, donations for the Red Cross for the benefit of flood victims.