Police discovered a body under the Saint John viaduct Sunday night.

Saint John police Sgt. Chuck Elgee said officers discovered the body in bushes around 8:30 p.m. under the north side of the viaduct in the Hilyard Street area.

An officer and an auxiliary constable discovered the body, which was severely decomposed.

Sgt. Stephen Wilson with the Saint John Police Force, said it's not unusual for officers to monitor that area.

A preliminary investigation is underway and the autopsy was Monday morning, but Wilson said the results had not been released.

"It's not a quick process and we may not know for a couple of hours," he said.