A long-time resident of Cold Brook thinks it's time for the road leading into his community to be repaved.
Henry White has been living in Cold Brook with his wife for almost 50 years. He recalls the road was originally paved in the 1970s, with a minor fix to a portion of the road in the late 1990s.
"Since the 2005 flood in Stephenville, much of the road leading into the community has been in a state of disrepair," said Mr. White. "The water washed away much of the pavement, and what wasn't washed away has now cracked."
While the occasional load of gravel or loose asphalt has filled in potholes, he said there haven't been any long-term repairs made to the road.
"The small pickup truck loads of loose asphalt just doesn't do the trick, as a few hard rainfalls or constant traffic across the bumps only serves to loosen the asphalt, leaving the holes even deeper than they were before the fix," he stated.
"There is another area, just prior to the bridge, where the road is in such a poor condition, motorists have to either take the ditch, which is also deteriorating, or choose to go to the opposite side of the road on a blind hill."
Mr. White said this will likely lead to a serious accident, should an oncoming vehicle be heading up the hill at the same time.
He added with the road constantly getting worse, it is getting harder to travel in and out of the community.
"We need new pavement actually applied to the road, or in time, we will have no access to our homes."
In addition to contacting the Georgian, Mr. White also addressed his issues to Joan Burke, MHA for St. George's-Stephenville East.
Minister Burke said she was looking into Mr. White's concerns.
"When I receive an issue regarding the condition of roads from a constituent, I take their concerns ... to the Department of Transportation and Works for them to assess and determine within their maintenance budget or their budget for the year if this work needs to be done, and if it does, can they get it done," she said.
The minister added once department officials assess the situation, she usually receives a reply, which she then forwards onto the concerned constituent. She noted she wasn't yet aware of any decision made by the department.
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On Friday, the Department of Transportation and Works issued a release saying a tender would be called for brush clearing and roadside rehabilitation from Fischells River Bridge to Crabbes River Bridge.
This tender is for a distance of approximately 20 km along the Trans Canada Highway between the two bridges. In addition, a tender for highway upgrades along this section of the highway will be called in the coming weeks.
"Increasing visibility along our highways, allowing motorists to spot moose and other hazards more easily, is a great example of how this government is taking driver safety seriously," said Minister Burke, in the release.
"I am pleased to see that this work will soon begin and make this stretch of highway safer for area residents and all those who visit the region."
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