'Crews are working around the clock': N.S. has so far repaired 500 sections of roads damaged by torrential rain storms

Nova Scotia has so far made repairs to about 500 sections of roadways damaged by last weekend’s torrential rain and flooding, the Department of Public Works said Thursday.

The department said an additional 60 road shoulders have been fixed, and 62 culverts have been replaced.

"Nova Scotians have faced their fair share of natural disasters recently and have, yet again, proven their resiliency," Kim Masland, Minister of Public Works, said in a statement Thursday.

"Crews are working around the clock to fix our provincial roads and bridges.”

During the record-breaking storms that began July 21, parts of Nova Scotia saw 250 millimetres of rain, causing widespread damage to roads, bridges and homes during the flash flooding.

The extreme weather resulted in the deaths of three people, and another person — a youth under the age of 18 — is still missing.

Provincewide, about 20 roads remain closed, down from about 60 on July 22.

The Department of Public Works said 19 bridges that needed minor repairs have reopened, and 29 bridges require “more extensive” repairs.

Seven of these bridges will need to be entirely replaced, but many others have reopened with precautions like vehicle weight limits, the department said.

Goat Lake Bridge, a 60-metre bridge near Exit 7 on Highway 103, remains closed along with the highway between Exits 7 and 8 on the province's South Shore.

About 200 Public Works Department staff and 40 private contractor crews are working on repairs.

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