NEWS RELEASE
Office of the Official Opposition
For Immediate Release
Road between Red Bay and Mary’s Harbour in desperate need of major repair work
The section of highway between Red Bay and Mary’s Harbour continues to deteriorate and is causing major problems for commuters and truckers who are trying to use this road on a daily basis, says Opposition Leader Yvonne Jones, MHA for the District of Cartwright-L’Anse au Clair.
The gravel section of the Trans Labrador Highway between Red Bay and Mary’s Harbour is full of potholes and making driving very difficult on the south coast highway. The Department of Transportation recognizes that traffic has increased since the opening of phase three of the Trans Labrador Highway, but very little investment has been made to address these problems.
“This section of road is in the worst condition it has ever been,” said Ms. Jones. “It was constructed in 1999 and no crushed stone has been added. It is currently down to the bedrock and there is nothing left to grade. Children are being forced to travel in busses over these roads and I am getting numerous complaints from people who are seeing their cars damaged. We are expecting an increase in tourists this year but with the road conditions like they are, I fear they may get discouraged and not complete their trips.
“An immediate investment is required to address this problem. Minor patch jobs are not going to work, what is needed are extra funds to put a layer of crushed stone on the road. These problems have been brought to the minister’s attention and what we need now is immediate action. Unless there are investments in the coming weeks, this problem will continually get worse and cause more problems for commuters. Workers in the area say there are about 200 loads of stone stockpiled in the region, yet none of that is being used to address the immediate problems.”- 30 -
Media Contact:
Darrell Mercer
Director of Communications
Office of the Official Opposition
Tel: (709) 729-6151 or (709) 687-0477