Neighbours of Union Gas’ new compressor station say their quiet road has become extremely dangerous.
Kathy Allman, Jen Stephenson and Judy Annett have all had close calls on Cuthbert Road, the main route for Aecon workers involved in the $250 million construction project in Dawn-Euphemia.
Allman says workers are speeding in and out of the construction site, ignoring speed limits and stop signs and creating a lot of close calls for neighbours.
“I was going to start out one day,” says Allman. “There was not a soul behind me. I looked up and then there was someone… and he was so close I couldn’t even see the license plate.”
Annett has had similar experiences and has almost been hit twice by speeding vehicles. “I had a neighbour call (after a near miss) and say I just saw what happened, that was close are you okay?”
Normally, Cuthbert is an extremely quiet road where kids could ride their bikes “down the middle of the road and wouldn’t see anyone.” But since construction has started, early in the morning and after 5 pm, about 70 vehicles pour off the site causing concern.
“I’ve lived where I live all my life…I’ve never had to be this concerned, this leery or afraid of being hit,” says Allman. Stephenson agrees saying her kids are not allowed to play on the front lawn right now and have been given special instructions on how to get off the bus quickly because of the traffic. Her husband has also moved the mailbox to the house side of the road so no one has to cross over.
The trio has approached Aecon about the speeds and dangerous driving, but went to township council Monday hoping councillors would find a way to make the road safer. “We can’t stop the project and we don’t want to stop Union Gas but it has to be done safely for the landowners around the site… and with respect,” says Allman.
Mayor Al Broad says many of the problems could be solved if the police came by. “We’re going to notify the police of their concerns because most of their complaints are OPP related, things like speeding and crazy driving,” he says.