It’s going to get worse before it gets better for people affected by the washout of the southern-most section of the Irish Loop.

The highway between St. Stephen’s and St. Vincent’s has been virtually shut down since the weekend, although the barricade was being lifted to allow local traffic through on occasion.

St. Vincent’s-St. Stephen’s-Peter’s River Mayor Ned Raymond says they were hoping to have that section, known locally as “the gut,” open to one lane, but that does not appear likely. He says it’s a great inconvenience for some on the Trepassey side who cannot get to St. Vincent’s to pick up  their mail or go to the medical clinic in St. Mary’s.

Mayor Raymond says residents will still have access to emergency services, explaining that the fire department has come up with a plan to use other motorized machines to get their equipment to the other side in the event of an emergency.