Hwy. 11-17 update

The Trans Canada Highway west of Thunder Bay will stay closed for a few more days.

A large portion of the highway was washed out between Hume and Holland Roads as part of Sunday night's storm.

Kevin Holland, the Reeve of Conmee Township, said travellers on the highway will have to find another route.

"The latest I've heard, they're anticipating the highway not to be open until the end of the week,” he said.

Holland added his road crew is busy patching up gravel roads throughout the township.

He said his community declared a state of emergency Monday, making special levels of provincial funding available to cover the cost of emergency repairs.

A special map produced by the Ministry of Natural Resources will help Thunder Bay area residents figure out which roads to avoid over the next while because they are flooded out or damaged.

Ross Johnston, an MNR conservation officer, said the map is based on the latest information from townships outside the city.

“If you're going anywhere — if you're trying to get from home into work or work back to home or travelling in the townships and you're not exactly certain where the washouts are — you'll be able to plan your route accordingly,” he said.

Johnson said the Ministry will update the map as road repairs are made or when additional washouts occur.

Johnson also expressed concern about people going out with their cameras to try to get pictures of road damage. He said he hopes people stop the practice because it's potentially dangerous.