Section of Route 106 near Dorchester closed by flooding
Mackenzie Scrimshaw | CBC News | Posted: February 27, 2017 10:43 PM | Last Updated: February 28, 2017
'There’s gotta be enough brains in this province to be able to fix that problem,' fire chief says
A recurring flood on Route 106 near Dorchester isn't just an inconvenience to motorists, the local fire chief says. It's also a public safety risk.
"It's been affecting us for several years now," said Chief Gregory Partridge of Dorchester. "It affects us that we can't get to the rest of our territory most of the time.
"We just have to rely on our neighbouring fire department to cover our areas — if they can get their truck into there."
On Monday, a flood forced the closure of Route 106 at Anderson Mill Road, roughly seven kilometres west of the Dorchester Penitentiary.
As of 5 p.m., the road was still closed.
This isn't the first time the road has flooded. In 2014, water covered a similar section of the road, the result of a clogged CN culvert.
Now, there are several culverts sitting on the flooded roadside, but it's not clear to whom they belong.
Stranded homes
According to Partridge, a section of the road was renovated, which means that floods strand fewer people.
The chief said he thinks a flood near the railway tracks would affect one house. However, that number could rise to eight if Route 106 flooded in two places.
This is "absolutely" a public safety issue, Partridge said, adding, "And it has been for years.
"The powers that be said [they're] coming up with solutions, but it's taken a long time."
Those "powers" are the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and CN, which Partridge said are working on the problem.
He last heard from them a year ago.
"I'd like them to fix it once and for all," Partridge said. "Sometimes you drive by there and [there'd] be eight or 10 white hats standing there and no one coming up with a logical solution. So, there's got to be enough brains in this province to be able to fix that problem."
Detour to Sackville
Danny Lawrence, a Dorchester Penitentiary employee, had to take a different route to work on Monday.
Leaving his home in Salisbury, Lawrence had to drive to Sackville and enter Dorchester from the opposite direction, thanks to the flood.
"It'd be nice if they'd figure it out and get it fixed," Lawrence said, standing outside of the Dorchester Ritestop.
This has been in the works for about a year and, he said, despite the culverts, nothing seems to be happening.
"Hopefully, the water will be back down in the next day or two," he said.
Until then, Lawrence said he has no choice but to keep driving through Sackville.
A spokesperson for CN said the culvert had recently been replaced.
CBC News called the provincial Department of Transportation and Infrastructure but has not heard back.