A major water leak broke out Friday morning in Montreal near the Jacques Cartier Bridge, spilling a large amount of water into nearby streets and flooding many homes.
Authorities warn that the area should be avoided and they recommend that drivers not take the Jacques Cartier Bridge to enter the city.
The leak began shortly before 6 a.m. at the intersection of René-Lévesque Blvd. and De Lorimier Ave. About two hours later, water continued to flow at a steady rate.
There’s flooding in certain sections of René-Lévesque, Notre-Dame, Viger, Sainte-Catherine and Papineau streets.
A water main break may be the cause of the leak, but the exact reason is still unknown.
“All teams are mobilized on the ground to identify the cause, close the valves and plan repairs,” wrote Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante on X.
She promised that further information would be released during the day.
In an interview with RDI, the administrative spokesperson for the City of Montreal, Philippe Sabourin, estimated that about a hundred homes were flooded. He mentioned that the priority is to ensure the safety of people who live in the neighborhood and urged citizens to avoid the downtown gates.
Sabourin also mentioned that the city still has to identify the precise location of the break before closing the valves, which he says could take half a day.
Montreal police officers (SPVM) were dispatched to the scene to close certain streets.
Firefighters from the Montreal Fire Department (SIM) are also present.
On X, the SIM asked the population to avoid Sainte-Catherine Street East and De Lorimier Ave. due to “major” flooding.
SPVM Spokesperson Jean-Pierre Braban noted that motorists from the South Shore who planned to use the Jacques-Cartier Bridge to enter Montreal on Friday morning choose another route.
“A lot of water has accumulated in the area,” he said. “We are asking citizens, if they can, to avoid the area for the next few hours, and as for the Jacques-Cartier Bridge, to take another alternative to come to Montreal.”
Several STM bus lines are also being diverted.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
