Dorchester residents want fix for flooded Route 106

Residents who live near a flooded road in Dorchester are demanding that a solution be found to prevent future flooding in the area.

A section of Route 106 in the southeastern community flooded in January and it has been under water again for the last three weeks.

Residents are facing a significant detour in order to get around the flooded road.

Tara Veach, who lives just down the road from the flooded area, said some local residents are now taking the risk of driving through the water on the road to avoid the detour.

"There are pylons out there and on most days they're buried or submerged under water,” she said.

“It’s a massive flood and it’s not just the area on the road. It's flooded beside the road, up the road and on both sides."

Some residents say the road may need to be raised to avoid future flooding.

A public meeting is planned for later in the week.

Jody Nelson and his family are also feeling the effects of the flood every day. The flooded road means the local school bus has to make a significant detour.

He said it's an 85-kilometre round trip for his two daughters to go to school.

"Because there's different dismissal times, my older daughter is missing an hour of school every day because they only have one bus run to be able to get everybody back home on time,” he said.

The flood was caused by a blocked CN culvert.

Nelson said he is disappointed CN is no longer pumping water from the blocked culvert.

A company spokesperson said pumping the water had no effect on the flood level, so it stopped.

The culverts will be replaced but there's still no date for repairs to the road.