The eastbound Highway 417 Aberdeen Road overpass closed Wednesday night after a concerned citizen noticed the structure was «buckling». The eastbound lanes of the major highway connecting Ontario and Quebec remain closed.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a call from a concerned citizen regarding the state of the overpass around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 5. Police subsequently closed the eastbound lanes of the 417 between Highway 34 and County Road 10 in Vankleek Hill.
Shortly after the Ministry of Transportation confirmed the overpass to be «structurally unsound», according to the police.
«There is no concern to public safety on Aberdeen Road if it remains open,» said Hawkesbury OPP spokesperson Constable Sydney Jones. «That would have been a decision made by the MTO.»
In a response to a request for comment, the MTO clarified that the buckling had occurred on the approach to the overpass and was likely caused by the concrete expanding in the extreme heat over the previous several days.
«The affected concrete in the second lane was removed overnight and replaced with asphalt as a temporary repair so that the approach could open to one lane,» said MTO spokesperson Tanya Blazina on Thursday, June 5. «A contractor will begin replacing the concrete on Monday.»
Over the weekend, the Highway 417 eastbound will remain reduced to one lane at this location until repairs can be made.
