‘An accident waiting to happen’
NDP leader says Amish concerned over poor pavement
The leader of the provincial NDP says a worn-out Kings County road is an accident waiting to happen and has expressed particular concerns for the area’s Amish population.
Mike Redmond released an open letter inviting Transportation Minister Paula Biggar to drive on the Brothers Road between Route 3 and the 48 Road to “provide feedback to the residents who must traverse this road every day.”
In addition to safety concerns, Redmond said many residents have experienced damage to their vehicles.
After speaking to the community’s growing Amish population, Redmond said they have also had damage to their carts as well as injuries to their horses.
“They’ve had horses walking on a limp coming off that road and that’s something they have to be very concerned about,” said Redmond, who also lives in the area. “It’s an accident waiting to happen… I’m concerned someone is going to get hurt.”
Redmond said the province has filled about 350 potholes in the road this summer.
“But that’s not resolving the issue because it’s such a heavily trafficked road, it just seems to be getting worse and worse,” said Redmond, adding that drivers have begun using the shoulder of the road.
A spokesperson for the department said there are plans to pave a 900-metre section of the northern end of Brothers Road later this summer.
The spokesperson said the remainder of the road, including the section Redmond referred to, will be taken into consideration when developing the 2018 road maintenance program.
The spokesperson also said the province will invest $5.5 million in the provincial paving program this year to resurface between 70 and 80 km of secondary roads. An additional $1.2 million will be used to place 10,000 tons of asphalt patching.
Redmond questioned whether the province’s current road maintenance strategy is working.
He said his response is to encourage anyone who has received vehicle damage on the road to put in a claim to the province.
“I think if the province starts having to pay out claims it might get their attention and force the issue,” said Redmond, adding that the road doesn’t help entice others to move into the community. “Having accessible roads that are safe is important to our community. If they’re not getting fixed, that’s problematic.”