Residents disapprove of ‘road improvements’
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A new road surface laid down in many parts of Vesuvius has left more than a few residents angered that they weren’t consulted before workers proceeded with the job.
“A lot of our neighbours are pretty upset,” said John Foley, a resident of Scotton Place. “Being able to rollerblade and skateboard on the street is one of the reasons our family bought in this area.
Since Mainroad Contracting Ltd. chip-sealed the roads in mid-September, Foley said, the streets have been left uneven, dustier, noisier and a far from ideal place for pedestrian use.
“There are a lot of kids in the neighbourhood and nobody likes it,” he said.
What’s worse, Foley added, was that neither he nor any of his neighbours were given so much as a letter notifying them of work proposed for Quarry Drive, Elizabeth Drive, Stonecutter Way and other smaller roads in the neighbourhood.
While chip sealing may be an effective and affordable solution in other areas, Foley said, its use in the Vesuvius area boggles the mind.
“Nobody I have spoken with has ever really felt the need for this,” said the 14-year area resident.
David Turenne, Mainroad Contracting’s manager for the southern Gulf Islands region, has a different perspective. Applying chip-seal over existing asphalt, he said, will preserve the roadbed and lengthen the life of the road.
“That whole area will be in a lot better shape in the long term,” he said. “We’ve managed to preserve the road for quite a few years to come.”
Chip-seal is a pavement surface that combines layers of asphalt with gravel. It is compacted and swept in order to reduce roughness.
“This is an option that gives very good value for taxpayers’ dollars,” he said.
As it becomes more compressed over the next year, the road should smoothen out considerably. Turenne said chip-seal is used across the province.
The company has no immediate plans to do any similar work on other island roads, he added.
As for the new surface’s impact on in-line skating and skateboarding, Turenne said the island’s roads are probably not the best places for a playground.
“From what I understand, there’s a beautiful skatepark on the island,” he said.
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