It’s time to act
County officials asking Nova Scotia to reconsider Oxford highway study decision
OXFORD, N.S. – Calls are continuing for the provincial Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal Department to take the lead in a joint study of the integrity of the Trans-Canada Highway near Oxford.
“We want to continue raising the issue,” Cumberland-Colchester MP Bill Casey said. “This is an important highway connecting Oxford and Nova Scotia to the rest of Canada. There is no alternative should something happen.”
Casey was joined by Cumberland South MLA Tory Rushton, Cumberland EMO co-ordinator Mike Johnson and Oxford CAO Rachel Jones in renewing their calls for TIR to come to the table to complete a study with Transport Canada to determine whether there is any sinkhole development under the highway.
“GHD said there is a high probably of the development of sinkholes and recommended the highway be investigated,” Casey said. “We’re hearing all kinds of anecdotal evidence of sinkhole activity in the area over the years.”
He said local officials are simply asking the province to reconsider and have a look to reassure people the highway is stable.
“In the end, I believe common sense will prevail,” he said.
Casey recently urged the provincial and federal transportation ministers to work together to co-fund a study of Highway 104 and Highway 321 as recommended by GHD, which did a geotechnical study of the sinkhole that has closed the Lions Park in Oxford.
Nova Scotia’s Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lloyd Hines said the highway is monitored regularly and LIDAR information hasn’t been analyzed as of yet, but would be quick to act if required.
Johnson said uncertainty with the highway is disconcerting to the community and he feels it defies logic to not test the underground.
GHD, he said, tested a small area of karst topography around the Lions Park in Oxford. It stands to reason to say the area tested is very similar in its topography to a much larger area.
“Whatever we find in this small area is fairly consistent with what’s going to be in this larger area. Most of the area is uninhabited, but a small area of it has several thousand vehicles going over top of it every day,” Johnson said.
Rushton said the urgency of the situation hit home during a recent briefing by GHD officials in which they said they don’t normally make recommendations, but in this case they did recommend further study of Highway 321 and the TransCanada Highway.
“It’s fair for residents and business owners to be concerned. All they’re asking for is peace of mind,” the MLA said. “None of us are geologists, but the report said the highway really should be looked at.”
“Even if it’s a small risk, the consequences could be horrific," said Casey. "I don’t want to be an alarmist, but there’s enough information there to show there’s a small risk of a sinkhole developing. It absolutely screams for a study to determine if there’s anything under that highway.”
Casey said he has spoken to federal minister Marc Garneau, but the highway is a provincial responsibility and the federal government will only get involved if asked by the province as was the case when the GHD study was announced in April.