Minister of Transportation, Steve Crocker says drivers should expect more delays westbound near Avondale this evening as commuters make their way back out of the city. However, things should start returning to normal tomorrow.
Back-filling over the top of the newly-installed culvert will wrap up this evening, and Crocker says the contractor is confident eastbound traffic will be re-established for rush hour at 6:30 tomorrow morning.
Westbound, meanwhile, is expected to reopen in the early afternoon.
TCH/Avondale update:
• lots of progress overnight
• culvert is now completely covered
• backfilling and soil compaction continues
• project remains on schedule #nltraffic pic.twitter.com/vLRgLuIId2— Transportation and Works NL (@TW_GovNL) September 16, 2019
Crocker says the culvert had to be installed in four parts rather than three, causing a delay of a few hours over the weekend.
There will still be traffic slowdowns for the next eight to 10 days, as even when the highway re-opens it will remain reduced to one-lane traffic in both directions. Crocker says if they can open two lanes they will, but guardrails still need to be replaced with median repairs to be completed.
He apologizes to drivers and residents alike for the congested weekend, but the project could have taken four to six weeks with continual delays—so Crocker says it’s short-term pain for long-term gain.
He understands people had safety concerns but says emergency vehicles were able to get through no problem.
Drivers easily cooperated and were quick to pull over to the side allowing vehicles through.In the event of a dire emergency, they were prepared to use a helicopter. pic.twitter.com/AMHxwbZsS5
— Ben Murphy (@BenMurphy590) September 16, 2019