Sudden flooding washes out road in rural Grand Forks

Undetermined flooding has washed out a section of road in rural Grand Forks, between the city and Christina Lake.

Greg McNeil, Operations Manager at the highway contractor Yellowhead Road and Bridge (YRB), said a sudden torrent eroded a section of Gilpin Road, near the intersection of Kenmore Road sometime before 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 15. The water carried away an underlying embankment, leaving a gaping crater several metres across where an affected stretch of the westbound lane collapsed.

READ MORE: Flash flood hits Christina Lake area homes

The water, first attributed to a burst irrigation line, continued to flow until around 10 p.m., when McNeil said it was shut off by a crew called in by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

It is still unclear where, exactly, the water came from, let alone what caused the flooding.

What is known is that Gilpin Road is closed for around 3 kilometres starting roughly at washout at the intersection with Kenmore Road in the west, to the intersection of Atwood Road in the east.

YRB will assess the full extent of the damage at first light Thursday, McNeil said, adding that it would probably take around three to four days to rebuild the road.

Area motorists are advised to access nearby Highway 3 using Whitehall Road.

McNeil said no one was hurt in the flooding, nor was there any damage to property.

@ltritsch1 laurie.tritschler@grandforksgazette.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.