Residents in two southeastern communities are upset the New Brunswick government is not addressing flooding problems on two provincial highways.

Emilie Broad, who owns a store at the bottom of the big hill in the community, said Highway 114, which is Hillsborough's main street, floods regularly.

She and others are convinced the culvert at the bottom of the hill is too small and causes flooding.

"Two year ago there was a couple, an older couple, that was actually washed off the road and they ended up in the ditch. So I mean, it does get quite dangerous at that point," Broad said on Thursday, when the road and nearby lands were underwater once again, with the water level up to the top of her rain boots.

Dieppe Mayor Yvon Lapierre says Chemin Acadie is sinking. (Marc Genuist/CBC)

"Right now we just didn't get a significant amount of rain for it to be maybe be dangerous at this point, but it can get to that point," she said.

Residents convinced the provincial government to do a study last year. Government officials say they're still reviewing the matter, but believe the area is a flood plane and the culvert is not the problem.

Broad said she disagrees with that assessment.

"It just seems like excuses, that they don't want to do anything about it," she said.

In Dieppe, the water has risen this week over large parts of another provincial highway, Chemin Acadie.

"The road is literally sinking from where it was when it was when it was last rebuilt, which was 30 years ago," Mayor Yvon Lapierre said of the major artery.

Lapierre says the city has also convinced the government to undertake a study, but he expects it will be a few years before any decisions are made on how to stop the flooding.