Some residents, near the Major Lake Road Bridge in South Algonquin Township, are being asked to evacuate due to rising Madawaska Valley river water.
The Township says Ontario Parks is closing the bridge this evening, as the flooding is posing a risk to health and safety.
The Township says if people decide not to evacuate, it’s at their own risk, as emergency services may not be able to reach homes there. The bridge is expected to be closed for at least 48 hours.
The Township’s CAO says the closure will affect about 30 residents in the area.
Also, rising water has Township of Madawaska Valley officials watching several roads and parks Monday evening.
Paugh Lake Road was closed at Trebinski Road due to flooding over the Bonnechere River Bridge. Officials say it poses a safety concern.
The Township’s Operations Department is also monitoring Wilno Road North at Wilno Heritage Park, plus Dam Lake Road and Parcher Road, near the Hastings town line.
Staff also ask that people not use Crooked Slide Park, due to floods there. And they ask drivers to take caution if travelling along Highway 62 in Combermere, near the Muskrat Lake Lane Private Road, due to high water.
County manager says flooding concerns aren’t over yet
Meanwhile, Renfrew County Infrastructure Manager Taylor Hanrath says drivers should be on the lookout for road closures and prepare for detours, as flooding concerns aren’t over yet.
“We’ve been notified (by the Ministry of Natural Resources) that a number of tributaries are still approaching their peak, they haven’t reached it yet,” he says.
“There’s still a substantial amount of snow in the northern areas of Algonquin Park that has to melt and that will enter those tributaries and flow into the Ottawa (River). So we haven’t reached our peak yet and we’re continuing to monitor water levels as we go forward.”
Hanrath says he encourages drivers to check Ontario’s 511 website before they head out. Renfrew County sends information about its road closures to the site regularly, so drivers have live information.
Meanwhile, MNR has a Flood Outlook statement in place for Renfrew County.
It says runoff to local lakes and rivers across the county is still increasing.
The Flood Outlook statement was issued Friday and it remains in place through Wednesday.
MNR asks residents in flood-prone areas to be aware of changing conditions and take precautions. It also asks people to stay away from waterbanks, as they may be unstable.