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‘Somebody’s going to get hurt’: Moncton residents concerned for road conditions with use of sand instead of salt

Thu, Nov 22: Residents outside of Moncton are voicing snow removal concerns in the area. They say conditions took a turn for the worse starting last winter when sand started to be used instead of salt – Nov 22, 2018

Residents outside Moncton are voicing concerns about road conditions in the winter weather.

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“Somebody’s going to get hurt,” says Kevin Fraser, who lives on Charles Lutes Road in Lutes Mountain.

“We have to prevent that by speaking up now, as opposed to waiting until somebody is hurt or killed.”

A snow-packed road is top of mind for those living in the area — something that wasn’t as much of a concern until last winter when salt was replaced by sand on the roads.

READ MORE: Overgrown vegetation along N.B. roadway leads to safety concerns

Residents say the snow packs down and becomes slippery and doesn’t melt with the sand that is used. Callum Smith/Global News

Fraser says a new contractor took over last winter, and sand started to be put down rather than salt, as in the last eight winters.

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“It was great; bare pavement at all times,” he says.

“They were here every couple hours plowing.”

Fraser, who is a contractor himself, admits the sand simply isn’t able to break down the snow and ice, creating for slippery conditions.

“They’re not putting salt down, it seems like they did last year as well — they just put sand,” says neighbour Doug Murphy. “To me, it really didn’t do the job.”

Doug Murphy, who lives on the same road, says the road slopes off on either side, adding concern to slippery conditions. Callum Smith/Global News

Combined with a road that’s already in poor condition according to residents, and one they say is bad for speed, it can make for some difficult conditions.

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“I, myself, left the road with a brand new truck with over $13,000 damage to it,” says Fraser.

“I left the road just to avoid an accident without hitting somebody. These roads are unbearable. Something has to be done.”

The province is asking for patience from residents but says the contractor doing the work in that area has had mechanical issues, forcing them to use smaller trucks for the interim.

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Transportation Minister Bill Oliver says all contracts with private companies are under review, to confirm quality of service.

“Everything will be under review to make sure that we’re giving the service that [we] committed to provide. We’re part of infrastructure — that’s part of my department,” says Oliver. “Certainly we have an obligation to make sure that our infrastructure is up and working.”
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