“Bomb” weather: several roads closed in eastern Quebec

The Journal de Québec

QMI agency

Friday, 5 January 2018 16:21

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Friday, 5 January 2018 16:21

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The difficult weather conditions in eastern Quebec forced the ministry of Transportation of Quebec (MTQ) to close several roads on Friday.

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The movements in the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and the North Shore were particularly affected by this “bomb”weather.

“These are extreme conditions. The wind and zero visibility in places, are kinds that one is obliged to maintain a number of roads closed,” said Denis Arsenault, spokesperson for the MTQ, on the waves of LCN, Friday.

The highway 20 and route 132 have been blocked to motorists in the Bas-Saint-Laurent and the Gaspé peninsula, and this, of Rivière-du-Loup to Grande-Vallée. The sections of these roads are located to the west of Rivière-du-Loup for their shares was reopened.

On the North Shore, highway 138, between Tadoussac and Rivière-Smelt was still closed in mid-afternoon, while road conditions between Baie-Sainte-Catherine and Petite-Rivière-Saint-François remain difficult.

In the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, the route 170 is closed to traffic from the avenue Saint-Alphonse in Saint-Bruno up to the street Quen Saint-Gédéon. Same thing for the highway 169 from Hébertville to the boulevard Maurice-Paradis in Alma. The route 173 between Dolbeau-Mistassini and Saint-Félicien is also prohibited to access.

In the region of Chaudière-Appalaches, all the roads are open, but the conditions remain difficult on the majority of them.

The service of ferry between Matane, Baie-Comeau and Godbout have been suspended, while the departures are 60 minutes to each side for traverse Tadoussac–Baie-Sainte-Catherine.

The service bus is also affected in Quebec. Orléans Express has already announced the cancellation of several departures scheduled for Thursday evening and Friday morning. Several other depend on the road conditions ahead and are likely to be canceled.