Dorchester business owners are worried about the extended closure of route 106 announced by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) this week.
DTI blocked off Route 106 where it crosses over Two Mile Brook just over one month ago, on April 1st, due to a damaged culvert with a collapsing road around it, caused by runoff from heavy rain. Since then, drivers have been taking an alternate route via Woodlawn Road and King Street.
Debbie Shea owns and operates the Village Square takeout in the heart of Dorchester. “I think it’s crazy,” says Shea, about the three month extension for the estimate fix time, posted by DTI on 511.gnb.ca. “It should be fixed by now.”
Shea says she’s noticed a difference in her business, especially on weekends. She says people don’t want to drive the detour route because it takes longer, and “the road is so bad… Woodlawn is really bad and King Street is bad.”
“It’s a big concern for this little village, for people to come in and enjoy it,” says Shea.
Kara Becker is co-owner of the Peep and Keep Ecotique in Dorchester. She says she’s shocked that “something like a main road can be out for so long.”
“I just cannot believe that it’s going to take until September to fix it,” says Becker, whose shop opened last year, and relies on tourists passing through. “What’s the delay? Why is it taking so long? This is a public safety issue, it’s an economic viability issue. And people are really ticked off.”
Becker is hoping the province will manage to get the road repaired by the end of June, “otherwise, you’ll see a lot of our little businesses here really struggling to keep going.”
Staff at the Gitpu Gas Station, about 2.5 kilometres from the closure, say they have noticed the difference in business. One customer said she was concerned about the response time for ambulances, which now have more travel time to access Fort Folly First Nation.
The mayor of Tantramar has weighed in on the issue with a letter to Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DTI) Minister Richard Ames, calling for expedited measures to reopen the road, and open communications on the timeline.
CHMA asked DTI the reason for the extended closure of route 106, and what work was planned to fix the collapsed culvert. Spokesperson Jacob MacDonald responded by email to say the department “understands the inconvenience to motorists regarding the current Route 106 closure and appreciates the public’s patience at this time.” MacDonald said “the replacement of the Three Mile Brook culvert remains a priority and DTI continues to explore all options to re-open the road as soon as possible.”
MLA Megan Mitton continues to question the state of the province’s roads in the legislature, bringing up both the closure of the 106 and the sorry state of Route 955 in Murray Corner in question period on May 7, the same day that DTI extended the estimated fix time on Route 106 by three months.
“Across my riding and in this province, roads and infrastructure are crumbling. Roads have fallen into disrepair, and it affects safety, tourism, economic development, active transportation, and more,” said Mitton, before asking Minister Ames about funding for Route 955, and a timeline to reopen Route 106.
Ames said the province would adhere to its three year Road Ahead plan, and would spend $100,000 on Route 955 in 2024.
Residents of Murray Corner have been vocal about the condition of the main road for the community, which has deteriorated to a point which they say is unsafe. A delegation from Murray Corner met with Ames in April, but the visit doesn’t to appear to have resulted in extra work on the road.
DTI had already scheduled two repairs on Route 955, funded through the Disaster Financial Assistance Program, in response to specific damage from Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and Hurricane Fiona in 2022. A spokesperson told CHMA in February that work would include “embankment repair and asphalt work near the bridge at Scott Brook”, and “culvert replacement and riprap protection installed at McMorris Brook.”
In response to Mitton’s question about route 106, Ames replied in general: “Safety is obviously the most important thing,” said Ames. “Unfortunately there [are] some inconveniences around the province. Our infrastructure is aging. We are addressing it.”
But Mitton says the department is being chronically underfunded.
Back in February, Mitton questioned DTI deputy minister Rob Taylor as he presented the department’s annual report to the public accounts committee. Mitton pointed out that the department fell short on its target of having 89% of the province’s roads in good or fair condition.
The report shows the province did especially bad with local roads, as opposed to arterials (Route 1 to 99) and collectors (Route 100 to 199). It also shows a drop in the condition of the province’s bridges.
Mitton asked Taylor to explain the poor performance, and Taylor cited the departments “asset management” strategy, and “limited funding every year.”
“You can’t fix every road or bridge for that matter,” said Taylor. “We spoke earlier about the cost it would be to actually bring all of the transportation infrastructure up to a fair condition… and it was astronomical.”
“I’ve told more than one DTI minister that I think they need a bigger budget,” responded Mitton, “that they’re underfunded for what they’re expected to do.”
‘Infusion of investment needed’
In April, Mitton reiterated that point in an interview with CHMA.
“DTI is not being properly funded,” said Mitton. “The last few years, you could talk about inflationary pressures, but leaving that aside, going back several years, it was being underfunded.”
Mitton said it’s not only an issue with roads and bridges, but also the province’s buildings. “Our schools also have deferred maintenance,” said Mitton. “There’s infrastructure that is is not being properly maintained, whether it’s roads and bridges, schools or other infrastructure… Asset management doesn’t work if you’re letting an essential asset go into disrepair.”
“Part of what needs to happen is there needs to be an infusion of investment,” said Mitton. “Targeted [investment], to get caught up. We know that there’s been surpluses, and I’m not saying that surpluses should be spent all on roads, we have other major issues in our communities such as lack of access to health care, lack of access to affordable housing. But we do need to make sure that we are keeping our roads safe.”
“What needs to happen is making sure the ones that are in disrepair get taken care of,” said Mitton. “They aren’t being prioritized. People will see work being done on a road and they’ll say, why did they even touch that when just a few kilometers away there’s holes in the road and the shoulders have been torn up?”
Mitton says the province’s asset management strategy strategy is not working. “They’re saying we’re going to take care of the roads that are basically in good condition, but the point they’re starting from… it doesn’t work. They need to fix some of the ones that are really in disrepair right now.”
