The fastest route from Moncton to a number of important tourist attractions is once again impassable, after the collapse of a section of Route 114 last week.
It's the second time in less than three years that a washout has caused such a problem on that road. The last time was in the spring of 2014, forcing residents and tourists to take a 20 minute detour to get around the site.
Noel Hammon, the property manager of Hopewell Rocks, is concerned it may not be fixed in time for tourist season.
"We don't get into heavier visitation until mid-July to be honest," says Hammon.
New Brunswick's Transportation and Infrastructure Minister says his department had its eye on upgrades to the route before the washout.
"We had repairs scheduled for the spring, part of those repairs included a modular bridge that we ordered to have a detour on the existing route, which would have been not as significant as the detour we've had to put in place," says Bill Fraser.
Fraser is also the former tourism minister for the province, which Hammon hopes will bode well for a quick fix for the road.
"If anyone understands the importance of access to Hopewell Rocks, it's Minister Fraser," says Hammon.
But Fraser says work can't even begin on the road until water levels recede.
"It has to be safe for our employees to be working on it, and we also at this time want to keep residents clear of the site because it's a very dangerous site," says Fraser.
Early estimates suggest the road repairs will take up to three months to complete.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis.
