Protruding pipe irks drivers turning right
A big pipe sticking out of the road is making right turns from Steeles Ave. a challenge for drivers.
Whenever new water mains are installed, it’s a serious disruption. The road is dug up, drivers have to weave around the construction and people who live on the street are forced to endure temporary chaos.
But it’s the price we pay to ensure delivery of high-quality tap water. And with so many GTA water mains in need of replacement, many people can expect to deal with the disruption soon, if they haven’t already.
Among the streets that have been torn up for water main replacement is Fairway Heights Dr. in Markham, where the road is just getting back to normal after construction that started in late summer.
A reader emailed to say the northeast corner of Fairway Heights Dr. and Steeles Ave., near Leslie St., is tricky for drivers making right turns, due to the water main project.
Right at the point where drivers turn north from westbound Steeles Ave., there’s a big blue pipe sticking out of the road that gets in the way, said the reader.
“This has been going on for months and there is no end in sight,” he said. “The real concern is, with the weather turning into snow, it will create a bigger issue.
“I can’t imagine snow plows going around the pipe.”
We went there and found a standpipe attached to the new water main, surrounded by pylons and ideally positioned to play havoc with right turns. Status: Philip Zhang, an official with Markham’s asset management office, called to say the standpipe is required for chemical testing of the new water main, and also to flush the pipe as it is put into service. The job is almost done and the standpipe will be removed by Christmas, said Zhang. Update: Our Wednesday column was about inoperative overhead lights in the massive east parking lot at the Finch TTC station. Danny Nicholson, who deals with media for the TTC, emailed to say “the underground cabling and wiring that provide power to some of the lights needs to be replaced. The entire parking lot is scheduled to be redone next summer. We have tried to do some quick fixes, but the circuit breakers trip. We are going to hire a contractor and the situation will be fixed in two to three weeks.” What’s broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. To contact us, go to thestar.com/yourtoronto/the_fixer, call us at 416-869-4823 or email jlakey@thestar.ca. Report problems and follow us on Twitter @TOStarFixer.