FLETCHERS LAKE: Officials can’t provide a timeline when crews will be able to get out to assess and start the process of repairing the washout on Holland Road, near the elementary school.
In a press briefing on the afternoon of July 23, HRM Director, Emergency Management and Community Safety, Erica Fleck answered a question from The Laker News. She was asked about timelines to repair work in the Holland Road and Fall River Road area.
Fleck said they have close to 1,000 of smaller washouts that have left debris and rock/gravel strewn on roadways, like there was until late afternoon July 23 on Fall River Road near the Gerald Mitchell Contracting building.
“I haven’t travelled on a road yet back and forth to work that didn’t have some amount of debris on it in the Bedford/Sackville/Fall River areas,” Fleck said.
ADVERTISEMENT:
As the briefing was taking place there were reports that crews were on site clearing the debris from the road which made for tricky driving over it.
The cleanup did see traffic backup to Georges P. Vanier Junior High for about 5-10 minutes at a time, according to residents who contacted The Laker News.
Fleck said with the water subsiding and no threat of thunder and lightning, HRM crews have started going out to spots.
“The work is being prioritized, based on a number of factors,” she said. “Obviously, emergency access routes, main arteries, but roads that cut off into subdivisions and work like that are among those.”
ADVERTISEMENT:
At Holland Road, a sign saying street closed with barricades and caution tape up stop motorists from driving through. Crumpled up pavement and gushing fast water could be heard as the stream next to it rolled on with water.
It looked to be more than a simple fix and one residents do expect to take time.
Some are good with that since they have access out to Hwy 2, while those beyond the spot further up Holland Road, and into the subdivision would have to utilize Collins Drive out onto Hwy 2 in Wellington.
ADVERTISEMENT:
While the barricades and caution tape are up to stop all—vehicles, cyclists, and walkers, there were a couple of cyclists who went under the caution tape while The Laker News was on site on the afternoon of July 23 taking photos of the damage.
Fleck said there are a number of top prioritizes, but stressed again it is not something that can be done over night.
“It is going to take some time based on the water levels and the inspections, and the assessments,” she said. ‘It’s just not that simple.”
Even when the water levels go down, HRM will still need structural engineers to have a look at things, like bridges, to see if they’re even safe to open.
She said that’s why as much as they would like to tell residents when their road may be back open, they can’t.
“There’s a lot of work to do,” she said. “ Unfortunately, we just can’t give any time lines right now other than the crews are working as hard and as fast as they can.”
