Route 117 is closed to traffic in both directions in the La Vérendrye wildlife reserve due to a gasoline spill that occurred early Tuesday morning.
Published at 12:08 p.m.
Updated at 2:25 p.m.
The duration of the closure is “indefinite” and could continue for several more hours, indicated a spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec, Marc Messier.
It was put in place following a collision between two semi-trailers which caused a gasoline spill.
More specifically, Route 117 is closed between kilometres 454 and 272. The closure is also extensive since this is the only section in this area.
Motorists are therefore being pushed back into the adjacent municipalities of Val-d’Or (Louvicourt sector) and Grand-Remous, where parking and services are available.
An environmental emergency responder was expected to arrive on site in the middle of the afternoon to assess the damage, said a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, Sophie Gauthier.
By 2 p.m., the damaged semi-trailers were still on site. The leaking tank of the vehicle had been plugged and a temporary dike had been erected to contain the oil spill.
According to preliminary estimates, around 15,000 litres of hydrocarbons were released at the scene of the accident.
The ministry was not able to specify at what time traffic could resume. “It’s a three-lane sector. Will it resume alternately? I don’t have confirmation at the moment. It will all depend on the situation on site,” explains Sabrina Gauthier.
