Continuous rainfall over the weekend and the already wet spring have led to a number of highways closing due to washouts or water flowing over roadways.
On Saturday (May 9, 2022), the road surface approximately 15 kilometres south of Red Lake, at Caribou Falls on Highway 105 was washed out, which roughly cut the community of about 4,000 people off from the rest of the region.
Photo: Glen Nesite/NWORoads.ca Facebook group.The municipality said in a social media post on Sunday morning (May 8, 2022), that the hope is the road will be repaired and reopened Monday afternoon (May 9, 2022).
On Sunday, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) made the decision to completely shut down Highway 105, due to water over the road in multiple locations.
Highway 605 between Highway 17 and Rugby Lake was shut down due to flooding concerns.
The north side of Rugby River, on Highway 605 north of Oxdrift, looking south. Photo credit: Kath Davis/NWO Roads Facebook. Just north of Dryden, on Highway 601, MTO made the decision to close both lanes due at McArthur Road due to washout damage and flooding concerns. Traffic control is in place and a detour is marked on the scene.
Washed out lanes on Highway 665 at Eyolfson Rd, forced the closure of the road on Saturday (May 7, 2022). MTO says traffic control is in place and is asking motorists to use caution when in the area.
On Monday (May 9, 2022) Gordan Lake Road, off of Highway 17 between Kenora and Vermilion Bay was closed due to the increased flow of water through the Forest Lake dam. The area of concern is just west of McIntosh Road, on Gordan Lake Road.
The City of Kenora announced on Friday (May 9, 2022), that several roads north of the by-pass were underwater, and motorists were asked to use extreme caution in those areas.
There are other multiple reports of washouts and flooding across the district and caution is urged on the roads that remain open.
In response to the high water levels, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry has issued a Watershed Conditions Statement – Flood Outlook, in effect until May 13. Their statement aims to give early notice of the potential for flooding throughout the region.
