A roadway in Quebec’s Lanaudiere region was severed in half Saturday after a beaver dam gave way.
According to the mayor of Rawdon — the municipality where the collapse occurred — a powerful rush of water caused the asphalt on Lac-Morgan Rd. to crumble, splitting it in two.
“All of the water that was held back by the dam, all of the sudden, just came through,” Raymond Rougeau told CTV News.
The theory is that the intense water pressure was too much for nearby drainage pipes, called culverts, to handle.
“The water started filtering around the culvert, and then the road just washed away.”
A large portion of Lac-Morgan Rd. has been closed, and detours have been put in place.
Rougeau said the plan is to re-open the road by Friday.
“The work could start as early as Monday morning. We have some extra culverts in our inventory, at our municipal garage,” I explained.
The municipality will investigate the cause behind the beaver dam’s break.
Although Rawdon wasn’t hit by the storm that swept through parts of Quebec Thursday, Rougeau said it’s possible rainwater accumulated over time — but it’s too early to tell.
Lac-Morgan Rd. is located near the Canadiana Village heritage park.
In Rougeau’s words, it’s an important “connector road” that links Rawdon to other municipalities like Saint-Côme and Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez.
“A lot of people will go through that road, because it’s sort of like a back road — it’s a lot shorter than [taking] different routes.”