First Street northbound closed due to flood water

The Manitoba government has closed the northbound lanes of 1st Street as the Assiniboine River continues to rise toward its anticipated peak. The northbound traffic was closed after water flowed onto portions of the roadway, and traffic is now being directed in both directions using the southbound lane only, with motorists urged to slow down and use extreme caution while travelling through the area.

Residents are being encouraged to avoid the area if possible, use alternate routes and allow extra travel time. The road closure is also expected to cause delays for Brandon Transit services.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett said the river is behaving much as officials had forecast, with water levels remaining within expected projections.

“The forecast on the river has been very accurate, and it is where it was expected,” Fawcett told The Sun on Sunday afternoon. “We do expect just a little bit of a rise still, but that’s well within what we were expecting.”

He said that city staff continue to closely monitor flood protection infrastructure, including the dike system, sandbag operations and lift stations as the river approaches its crest.

Fawcett confirmed that the Province of Manitoba ordered the closure of First Street after water reached the roadway. The river is still expected to rise by about another foot before reaching its peak, which could occur between Sunday and Monday. Fawcett said water levels may remain near their peak for a ‘while’ before beginning to recede.

Monitoring efforts will continue throughout that period, as sustained high water levels place pressure on flood protection infrastructure and affect key facilities such as lift stations and major roadways.

“The weather has worked alongside us, which has been very fortunate,” Fawcett said. “We’ll continue to do a lot of monitoring, and then the weather has to continue to work.”

Fawcett also praised Brandon residents for cooperating with flood response efforts by respecting safety measures and avoiding unnecessary activity near the dikes.

“I’ve got a deep respect for the residents of Brandon who take this seriously,” he said. “They’ve been very supportive of staff and contractors that are doing work, they’ve asked good questions, they’ve shown their own preparedness, and they’ve respected the river.”

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