Underpass Closure Defended

The town of Fort Frances is defending the lengthy shutdown of the Portage Avenue underpass.

The closure was extended another three weeks following of the discovery of a silty clay underneath the road bed last week.

Superintendent of Environmental and Facilities Doug Herr says it required the contractor to do additional work on the site.

"So they had to excavate three feet of material and put a crushed rock material in there to get more stability so they can actually work off of it," says Herr.

Herr says the presence of the clay was not previously know until crews starting digging up the road last week.