Massive sinkhole closes eastbound 174 for days
Posted Sep 6, 2012 09:30:10 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA, Ont. – The eastbound 174 between Montreal Road and Jeanne D’Arc Blvd. will likely be closed for days, as city crews work at fixing a massive sinkhole.
The huge pit on the off-ramp at Jeanne D’Arc swallowed a car Tuesday afternoon, the vehicle coming to rest on a corroded sewer line.
Orleans councillor Bob Monette told 1310News crews first need to figure out how to get the car out of the hole. Then city officials need to find the right sized pipe to replace the damaged sewer line.
“If they can get the 3.6 metre pipe, then it will be a matter of days before it’s replaced and the road reopened,” Monette said, adding that as a driver who uses the 174 on a daily basis, he understands the frustration of Orleans residents. “That’s the highest traveled roadway in our community. Everyone travels the 174 to get to and from Orleans.”
This section of pipeline was inspected and cleared in 2011, and Monette told 1310News he’s looking into what caused the pipe to burst now.
In the meantime, he recommended that Orleans residents take the bus or try carpooling on alternate routes like Innes Road or St Joseph Blvd.
The city has released a list of alternatives;
- 174 to Montreal to St. Joseph
- 174 to Blair to Innes
- Ogilvie to Montreal to St. Joseph
- Rockcliffe Parkway to St. Joseph
- Blackburn Hamlet By-pass to Innes or Navan
- Walkley to Ramsayville to Ridge to Anderson to Renaud
- Russell to Milton to Navan to Tenth Line
The 48-year-old man driving the car that tumbled into the sinkhole had minor leg injuries, and at the scene, Marc Messier of Ottawa Fire told 1310News it was a miracle he wasn’t more seriously hurt.
“The fact that he had slowed down quite a bit because of the traffic probably prevented him from having serious injuries,” Messier said. “He was quite lucky, we recommended that he buy a lottery ticket, because you don’t see this everyday.”
