Still no Highway 103 Exit 32 fix in 5-year provincial plan
Projects on tap, but no major ones, in tri-counties
A total of seven paving projects and nine gravel road improvement projects in the tri-counties are on the books for 2022-2023, according to the most recent provincial Five-Year Highway Improvement Plan released on Jan. 18.
But what isn't in the plan is any mention of long-awaited improvements to Exit 32 on Highway 103 in Argyle, Yarmouth County.
“I'm quite disappointed it's not included in the five year plan,” says Warden Danny Muise.
“It's a safety issue that the government has been aware of for the last number of years. It was set as a priority in 2015," he says. "I attended a meeting a couple of years ago with then minster of Transportation Lloyd Hines and he indicated they had a preliminary plan and that it would be included in the five-year plan. Here we are again looking at five years down the road and still no mention of a project. It's quite disappointing.”
Muise says the greatest problem with Exit 32 – located near Nakile Drive where the long-term seniors' care facility is located – is there is no right-hand turning lane when coming from Yarmouth to turn onto Nakile Drive in a stretch where traffic travels 100-km an hour.
“Traffic there is fast. I have had a close call there myself. There was a transport truck in back of me and I had to turn," he says. "He couldn't slow down. Had there been any traffic coming in the opposite direction I think we would have seen a disaster. He was right on my tail. He had to pull over in the opposite lane to get by me. I know there's been some close calls there for sure.”
Argyle MLA and provincial cabinet minister Colton LeBlanc says the Exit 32 project “remains a top priority for me and the constituents of Argyle."
“Last year, I provided a tour of the Exit 32 area to the deputy minister and other senior officials within the Department of Public Works and shared my concerns around safety. The project is now in its design phase, and I continue to have discussions with the department – at all levels – to highlight its importance. I have also discussed this project with the minister,” says LeBlanc.
“I understand that the Minister of Public Works will be meeting with her deputy and other senior staff within the next few months to review the department's long-term goals and objectives," he says. "I will continue my efforts to ensure that this project is front of mind."
WHAT IS IN THE PLAN?
Here is some of what is included locally in the plan.
Paving projects planned for 2022-23 in Digby County include: Route 340 from Patrice Road westerly (7 km); and the Lake Doucette Road from Hectanooga Road to Beaver River Road, (4.4 km).
In Shelburne County, the Port La Tour Road, from Route 309 to Baccaro Road (3.7 km) is slated for an asphalt single lift overlay, as is Trunk 3: from 5 km south of Exit 24 southerly (3 km).
Three paving projects are scheduled for Yarmouth County in 2022-23. The Lake George Road from Richmond Road to Crosby (2.9 km); the Hardscratch Road from the Yarmouth town line to the Greenville Road (3.5 km); and Lakeside Road from Main Shore Road to Dayton Road (2.6 km).
MORE MONEY FOR GRAVEL ROADS
Funding for the Gravel Road Capital Program has doubled from $20 million to $40 million in the 2022-23 plan. That's getting the thumbs up from one local resident who has been waiting more than 40 years to see improvements to the Upper Clyde Road in Shelburne County.
Under the gravel road program the Upper Clyde Road from four km north of the end of the asphalt northerly (for a distance of 5 km) will be upgraded in 2022-23. That will improve the road maybe as far as Brier Hill, which would be good and gets them about half way to the farm, says Jackson Lore, who lives, owns and operates Lore Farm in Middle Clyde.
“Anything will be a help,” he says. “The section I live on hasn't been upgraded since I first came here in the 1970s so its been over 40 years.”
When Transportation Minister Kim Masland was the MLA for Queens-Shelburne prior to the last election, Lore often contacted her to try and get improvements for the road.
“One of the things I emphasized with her is it hurts my business. Getting materials transported up here, truckers don't want to come. If the road was better there would be more u-pickers," he says. "Workers trying to get to work is the worst. Last spring the road was so bad it would take an hour to get to town and take an hour to bring workers up. I was spending four hours a day transporting workers back and forth. Even now I try to go to town when the road is frozen. In the old days the road would stay frozen all winter now its mud season all winter. Freeze, thaw, freeze, thaw, that's really bad.”
A 1.5-km gravel road upgrade to the Rocco Point
Road in the Municipality of Argyle is also getting a thumbs up. “That road floods every high course tide in two places. It's in bad shape,” says Warden Muise, adding the municipality often gets calls about the road's condition even though it isn't their responsibility.
“We see it's on the plan so at least we know something is going to be happening there. It's very, very much needed. It's good to see they are finally gong to do some work,” he says.
Three other gravel road projects listed for Yarmouth County in the 2022-23 plan include the Main Shore Road from Lake Darling Road to the beginning of the asphalt (5 km); Meadow Brook Drive from North Ohio Road to cul-de-sac (2.7 km); and Wilson Road from Route 308 to Canaan Road (5.5 km).
In Shelburne County, the Black Point Road from the end of the asphalt southerly (1.2 km) is also included.
Gravel road projects in Digby County for 2022-23 include the Common Cross Road from Thimot Road to PF Comeau Road (1.9 km); PF Comeau Road from Second Division Road to Common Cross Road (1.9 km) and Sissiboo Road from South Range Cross Road Easterly to O'Brien Road (9 km).
Widening Trunk 3 in Yarmouth County from the Hardscratch Road to Chebougue Road (2.2 km) is listed as a construction/improvement project for 2023-24. Asphalt Projects for 2023-24 include Highway 101 from Digby Clare line east to Exit 27 (2.9 km). Highway 103 in Shelburne County from Exit 24 KM Marker 101.8 easterly to KM Marker 109.3 (7.5 km). And in Yarmouth County, Trunk 3 from Yarmouth town line easterly to Dominique Road (3.5 km).
Almost $500 million in capital spending for highways, bridges and roads will be invested by the province in 2022-23. In 2021-2022,
565 kilometres of road were paved and work was completed on more than 315 kilometres of gravel roads says the province.