Residents in the Horse Lake area are calling on the provincial government to address what they describe as horrible road conditions along the main thoroughfare in their community.
Longtime South Cariboo resident Ted Giesbrecht said last week the current condition of Horse Lake Road - mainly between town and Horse Lake Elementary - is “without question” the worst he has seen it in 15 years.
“The road is beyond its lifespan,” Giesbrecht said. “It’s like driving a slalom course in many places, it’s so bad.”
With many potholes along the busy stretch of road, Giesbrecht said he worries that a serious accident could occur as drivers are forced to swerve, attempting to avoid the holes.
Darren Larsen told the Free Press he wasn’t able to swerve around a large hole just north of the Skaday Bridge last week. Larsen said he hit the large pothole - in the middle of the road, affecting both lanes - on his way home from town Friday evening.
“My front tire is blown right out, and I have a bulged back tire,” Larsen said, noting he made a phone call to Dawson Road Maintenance the next morning to express his frustration.
He is also filing a claim through the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to cover the cost of damages to his car.
A representative from the ministry told the Free Press Tuesday that potholes have been more prevalent around the province this winter due to heavy rains in November followed by the December cold snap.
Patrolling, identifying and repairing potholes is the responsibility of the contractor, Dawson Road Maintenance, which is “actively patching” throughout the South Cariboo, according to the ministry spokesperson.
“The ministry continually assesses the condition of roads around our provincial network, and prioritizes roads for resurfacing based on condition and traffic volumes,” the spokesperson said, noting it has been approximately 17 years since Horse Lake Road was fully repaved.
The spokesperson did not specify whether Horse Lake Road was a priority for repaving this year or not.
Giesbrecht is one of a number of Horse Lake-area residents to bring the issue to MLA Lorne Doerkson, who said he agreed that the stretch of road “needs to be made a priority.”
“I met with the ministry last week to express my concerns,” Doerkson said. “There was no clear decision whether or not that would be done this year, but I think it’s important that we continue to drive it to the top of the list.”
Doerkson is encouraging residents who are concerned about the state of the road to send him a letter that he will then pass along to the ministry.
He acknowledged that many other roads throughout the region are also in need of attention, but that Horse Lake Road is an “area of concern” when it comes to safety.
Larsen said he agreed that the condition of the road creates a dangerous situation.
“Someone’s going to get killed,” Larsen said. “They’re going to hit one of these potholes and lose control and hit someone head-on.”
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melissa,smalley@100milefreepress.net
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