Terra Nova Park TCH finally reopens to waiting drivers

The portion of the Trans-Canada Highway that runs through Terra Nova Park is open once again to motorists.

Theroadwasclosedin both directionsTuesday due to a washout north of the Cobblers Brook area near the park's eastern entrance, and drivers waited as the promised reopening was pushed back later and later.

Earlier Wednesday, Parks Canada said the road was expected to be open at 4 p.m.

Shortly before 4, Parks Canada tweeted that "despite [significant] progress" the contractor had advised the highway would now reopen at 6 p.m.

Then, around 5:30 p.m., Parks Canada warned the opening may be further delayed beyond 6 p.m.

Parks Canada listed several reasons for the delay in reopening the highway:

• The crew had to repair the road with a smaller culvert, which was all that was available
• The contractor needs to make sure the culvert is well-covered by fill to minimize the chance of another closure with more rainfall possible
• Not all equipment has been available, either because it's trapped on the other side of the divide, with other equipment having to travel "some distance" and being delayed by increased traffic.

Stranded in Terra Nova

Musicians Jennifer Mitchell and her father Gary, who had been in St. John'sfor the weekend's Inuit Studies Conference,played musicto keep up the spirits of people in line.

"Me and my father had our instruments aboard the vehicle, so we figured we'd get out and play a few tunes for the people around us, try to break up the afternoon here. We've got a beautiful day here, so it's been good," she said.

"We had a nice few people, people walking by and that, stop and take a few pictures. There's a few people in the lineup from away that said only in Newfoundland they'd have a party on the side of the road during a traffic jam."

But Jennifersaid the news of the delay until 6 p.m. deflated some drivers' hopes.

"A couple of people are after leaving the lineup now and gone back to Clarenvillefor food and possibly shelter for the night," she said.

Many travellers displaced by the closed TCH stayed at theClodeSound Motel and Restaurant in Charlottetown overnight Monday.

"We were really, really busy yesterday right up until last night," Nellie Spracklintold CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.

Spracklin said her family'sbusiness had to turn people away because it was at capacity Tuesday.

"We had one man in the parking lot we gave him blankets and pillows," she said.

The motel typically closes its restaurant at the end of September, but remained open late into the season due toconstruction going on in the park.

"The rooms are filled and we've done everything we [can] for everybody."

'It seemed like a roar'

Flooding in Norris Arm tears down roads, property

8 years ago

Duration 1:53

Heavy flooding tore down roads in Norris Arm on Monday. Residents Alonzo McDonald and Greg Higgens survey the damage.

AlonzoMcDonald, who lives in the central Newfoundland community ofNorris Point,says he knew the river next to his home was going to rise with Monday night's rain but never anticipated the storm would beso strong.

"It usually does [rise] when you get that much rain, and that was the most rain I've ever seen,"he told CBC News.

"Oh, it was pretty rough at first," said McDonald as he walked through the town.

"It seemed to me like a roar. I think that's when the trees hit the culvert and it plugged it up. And then she hit the bank here and she justgive'rin. She just keptgoing, and non-stop."

The department ofmunicipalaffairs saysresidents and communities requiring assistance with the recovery process should call1-888-395-5611.