The Ministry of Transportation has apologized for extra long delays on Highway 17 during the current repaving project between Chalk River and Point Alexander.
Don Rowat, head of “construction east” for MTO, responded last week to an anonymous complaint earlier this month about a delay lasting more than an hour near Bass Lake Road.
“John,” using the email address ottawavalleycitizen@gmail.com, wrote to Rowat about the traffic conditions he ran into on July 6 while travelling east through the area.
John said he was stopped in a “closed, stagnant traffic lane” for one hour and three minutes before his lane was released and he was able to drive through the construction zone.
From his position, he said, he could see traffic backed up 3.5 km behind him.
“During this time I did not once see a MTO or Bonnechere Excavating Inc employee or vehicle drive past to monitor the eastbound traffic conditions,” he said.
John said the delay was so long, many drivers were getting out of their vehicles and “standing, walking, conversing and stretching on the highway road surface,” even as westbound traffic went by “within mere feet” at speeds of up to 90 km/h.
“This was an extremely dangerous condition. It should not take a collision, fatality, or serious injury before the Ministry intervenes”…
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