The City of Saint-Jérôme has closed one of the bridges that crosses the Rivière du Nord due to high water levels.
The Viau Bridge was closed Wednesday evening for “preventative” reasons, the city explained, after the water reached the bridge deck.
“We have a responsibility to monitor the river very closely so we can act quickly in the event of a disaster. The situation is under control. The flow is particularly strong, but the measures taken, such as closing the Viau Bridge, are preventative. This isn’t the first time we’ve closed this bridge in the spring,” the city wrote in a comment on its Facebook post announcing the closure.
“This action is necessary to ensure the safety of all users.”
The closure is in effect until further notice, with a detour in place for drivers looking to cross the river.
The City of Saint-Jérôme tells CityNews it’s forecasting the river flow could reach 338 cubic metres per second by Saturday morning, and increase to 371 cubic metres per second by Sunday.
The river’s high end flooding threshold is 365 cubic metres per second.
