Barbara Latkowski
Caledonia Courier
The situation on North Road does not seem to be improving according to residents on nearby Pinchi Lake Road.
One of those residents, Berit Christensen, has lived in the area for 32 years. She says that North Road has deteriorated over the years.
“There are so many logging trucks on the road. Regular traffic has also increased drastically because of the mine”, she said. “The visibility is terrible.”
Fellow resident, Ross Davidson, couldn’t agree more. “I’ve been here many years and the logging only continues to climb adding more stress to the road,” Davidson said.
Davidson is a member on the municipality’s Transport Committee and says that the Ministry of Transportation has done some work on the road but it’s just not enough.
“The traffic is killing it. There is only so much a gravel road can take,” he said.
The Cassier Ranch Society has conducted vehicle counts in the area to raise awareness regarding the increase in logging truck traffic using North Road.
“We’re in a rock and a hard place,” Davidson said. “The cost to fix the road is in the millions but I think the only solution is to have it paved,” he said. “The dust is unbelievable. It just cost me a new windshield,” he said.
Christensen says that once the Leo Creek Connector Road is in place, the situation will only worsen.
“It will just be more logging trucks and more traffic,” Christensen said. “It’s really scary when you’re driving and you can’t see in front of you and you can’t see what’s coming at you.”