Drivers impatient over bridge work

Asphalt removed from a section of the bridge over the French River in Tatamagouche is expected to be replaced within the next few weeks, a transportation spokesperson says.

“The contractor will be addressing this section first, once they begin their work,” said Marla Macinnes, of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.

But for Dan Maceachern, a former resident of the area, that’s too long a wait.

“It’s an awful, terrific hole in this bridge. It’s about six or eight feet wide and about and six or seven inches deep,” he said.

As of Friday, Maceachern said it had already been one full month since the asphalt was removed from one end of the bridge on Route 6, the major thoroughfare in the Tatamagouche area en route to Wallace and Pugwash.

“And they don’t seem to care about fixing it,” Maceachern said. “I mean, fixing that asphalt, if you tear it out one day you should fix it the same day.

“I can’t see how they have any pride in their work to be honest with you, the people that do the work or their bosses... There’s something wrong with the upper end of that department. If the upper end fixed the lower end, then the roads would be fixed.”

Macinnes said a short section of asphalt is being replaced on one approach side of the bridge to address potholes and deteriorated asphalt.

“We have an asphalt patching contract beginning very soon that will complete this, and other work in the area, over the next few weeks,” she said.

The section has signs to warn users of the construction and Macinnes said some temporary work was completed on Thursday to make the transition smoother until further work can take place.