WESTVILLE, N.S. — As an area of low pressure continues throughout northeastern Nova Scotia and up into Cape Breton, crews with Westville public works have been working around the clock to assess the damage.
“I’ve had a crew out since 3 a.m.,” said Westville Public Works Superintendent Samuel Graham on July 1, after weekend rains caused washouts on Hamilton Road, Union St. and Hoyt St.
“They took care of the the ones that posed a risk to public safety and the rest will be a clean-up.”
Pictou County is expected to receive an additional 30 milliliters of rain before Tuesday. According to environment Canada the sun will start breaking through after that.
That’s good news for Graham and Westville public works.
“I would think we’ll have it done by the end of next week," said Graham about the repairs. “As long as we can stay with it and there’s no more rain.”
While washouts in places like the bridge on Hamilton Road, which is maintained by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, are not uncommon, Graham says that all the rainfall in Pictou County, and the price-tag that he predicts will be attached to repairs are a tell-tale sign of things to come.
“This is what we mean by climate change. The intensity of that volume of rain came down in such a short order that anything that we’ve created couldn’t deal with it,” said Graham who has been driving around the county taking stock of the damage.
“I’m thinking we’re into probably between 25 and $40,000 by the time we get asphalt and gravel, but that’s just off the top of my head.”