Trans-Canada to reopen today in New Brunswick

New Brunswick has hit a major flood-recovery milestone: Transportation officials hope to reopen the crucial Trans-Canada Highway between Fredericton and Moncton at noon today. The four-lane stretch — used by an average of 10,000 to 12,000 vehicles daily — has been closed for the past week because of recordbreaking flooding in the province.

The water has receded from the road but crews were removing debris Thursday, mainly logs and driftwood, as inspectors walked the route looking for damage.

“The evidence at this point is that there is erosion to the shoulder with a minimal amount of undermining,” said Norm Clouston, general manager of Maritime Road Development Corp., which manages the key stretch of highway.

Premier Brian Gallant announced Thursday that the province has asked the Armed Forces to conduct a “reconnaissance mission” to determine if the military could provide assistance in the cleanup.

“We are asking them to see if there are tasks that are appropriate to delegate to the Canadian Armed Forces during the recovery and cleanup. We certainly hope that the answer will be yes, because we would like to see as much support as possible to try to get the cleanup done as quickly as possible,” Gallant said.

While water levels are receding, Gallant said, there are still many people with flooded properties, and efforts are focused on keeping them safe.

Geoffrey Downey, spokesman for the Emergency Measures Organization, said it may be safe for some residents to return to their homes, but he urged people to take a cautious approach.

“If it’s safe to get back into your home and begin, then absolutely. That’s the key thing we’re preaching right now. You have to do it safely,” he said.

“I can only imagine how eager people are to get back and start figuring out what their immediate future holds, but it doesn’t make any sense if your home is still filled with water and part of the river. Hold on if you can and wait and do it safely.”