Sinkhole repairs underway
Transportation Minister Paula Biggar says repairs on Irishtown Road will be finished over next few weeks
Repairs on a road in the Kensington area that sunk when a culvert failed should be completed in the next few weeks, says Transportation Minister Paula Biggar.
Earlier this month, a large hole about six metres long opened up on the Irishtown Road making the road impassable and forcing a detour. Biggar said a company was brought in immediately to start repairs and work will continue over the next couple of weeks. “We are aware that there is a detour there and we’ll certainly be very cognizant to have that completed as soon as we can,” she said. Opposition MLA Jamie Fox raised the issue during Friday’s question period and asked if the work was put out to tender. Biggar responded that because it was an emergency situation the department had to get a construction company that could do the work on site immediately.
A tender would take about a month before repairs were finished, she said.
“By the time the tender was done we could have had the work done.”
Fox questioned why a company from Biggar’s district of Tyne Valley-Linkletter was chosen for the repairs. “Common sense would say to me and Islanders that if you needed to make quick road repairs that you would use a contractor closer to the job site than your house,” he said. Biggar said Noye and Noye Construction completed the work and is not from her district.
P.E.I.’s corporate registry lists a post office box in Tyne Valley as the company’s address.
Biggar said the department is increasing the size of the culvert, and after question period she tabled a document showing the projected cost for the repairs was $85,000.