City officials ask drivers to avoid flooded underpasses as more rain on the way
The City of Regina has a three-phase approach to address the flooding that occurs at the downtown underpasses during most heavy rainfalls, including Thursday night’s storm.
Water often pools underneath the overpasses at Albert Street and Saskatchewan Drive and Broad Street and Dewdney Avenue, making the roads impassable.
Several cars became submerged at the underpasses following Thursday’s storm. City crews cleared the Broad Street underpass early Friday, but had the Albert Street underpass closed until noon.
Kurtis Doney, acting executive director of citizen services for the City of Regina, encourages all drivers to avoid the underpasses during floods—that’s the first phase of the approach, education.
“Medium-term, we’re working with SGI to have a flood indicator on the Albert Street underpass so if it’s flooded it would take control of the lights and not allow people to go into the flooded underpass as the lights would stay red,” Doney said.
Long-term, city officials want to upgrade the draining infrastructure at major underpasses.
SGI shared Doney’s sentiment encouraging drivers to stay away from flooded roads.
“Don’t risk it. Find another way to get where you’re going,” Tyler McMurchy said. “A vehicle submerged in water is very quickly damaged beyond repair.”
As of Friday evening, SGI had received seven auto claims for submerged vehicles in Regina due to Thursday’s storm. Eight claims were submitted in Prince Albert.
“This is one of the perils that is covered by insurance. However, it’s really something we advise people to take steps to avoiding,” McMurchy said.
“I don’t think anyone wants to experience having to pay a deductible, write off their vehicle [and] arrange for alternative transportation.”
Meanwhile, flooding at Ross Avenue resulted in a chunk of Ring Road being closed and re-routed for much of Thursday.
“What we found last time and I expect this time is the storm drain actually becomes plugged, so it’s plugged with debris, garbage [and] dirt,” Doney said.
“So we go in there and clear that storm drain and then it drains properly.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.