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News
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Joyce says new pavement sections of Trans Canada Highway on
Avalon Peninsula falling apart and dangerous February 3, 2006
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Eddie Joyce, Opposition Transportation and Works Critic and MHA for the
District of Bay of Islands, says rushed pavement jobs on the Trans Canada
Highway between St. John’s and Goobies are falling apart, damaging vehicles
and creating road hazards during winter driving conditions. In November and December, government approved paving projects on sections of the Trans Canada Highway on the Avalon Peninsula. This work was rushed and is now causing problems for motorists. Large sections of the new pavement has deteriorated and begun breaking off in pieces hitting windshields of vehicles. In addition, sections of the divided highway have only one newly paved lane which has created uneven amounts of pavement in different sections of highway. This has resulted in hazardous driving conditions. "Government has created road conditions that are compromising winter driving safety," said Mr. Joyce. "Instead of doing the proper paving job, the cosmetic job that was done late last year is falling apart. I have already received calls from individuals who have had pieces of pavement flick onto their windshields. Each time the plow clears the highway, more of this pavement is getting ripped up. This pavement was poorly laid and rushed, and it now appears the road is in worse condition than before the pavement was laid. "It is obvious that this paving project was done in haste and not up to the proper standards for the highways in this province. It appears the minister was trying to lay this pavement to give the appearance of actually doing something in the department, and to deflect attention from the closure of the highways depots announced by this government. Unfortunately, what we have now are millions of dollars that were wasted. This pavement will have to ripped up again and replaced. This is not an effective usage of road infrastructure dollars. "Instead of laying political pavement late in the year, I suggest the minister begin making proper investments where road improvements are needed. Spending millions of dollars on pavement projects that will not last is a total waste of money." |
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