Dorval Tunnel temporarily reopens, will close for the weekend

Dorval Tunnel closed after heavy rainfall (CTV News / Dave Touniou)

The Dorval Tunnel on Highway 13 in Montreal's West Island reopened to traffic on Thursday morning after being closed for several days due to flooding.

At 5 a.m., the Quebec Transport Ministry confirmed that Highway 13 is now accessible to motorists in both directions between Highways 40 and 520.

However, two ramps in the area -- on Autoroute 520 West to Autoroute 13 North and on Autoroute 13 North to Autoroute 520 West -- remain closed indefinitely.

So far, there have been efforts to fix the pumping station and install temporary lights, but work on the tunnel is expected to continue this weekend.

Officials say the pumping station was heavily damaged by the intense rains that fell last Friday following Hurricane Debby.

"The closure will also allow the ministry to ensure that the pumping system is effective in evacuating water from the roadways," the ministry said in a press release, warning that the work could take several weeks.

Autoroute 13 is slated to be completely closed between highways 40 and 520 from 11:59 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Sunday.

Officials add, "for reasons of coordination and weather forecasts," the closure of the Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge scheduled for this weekend has been cancelled.

The Dorval Tunnel was closed after problems were caused by backups in the municipal sewer collector that removes water from Highway 13.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 15, 2024.