What was once an easy trip to the grocery store for John DeWolfe is now a stressful drive through narrow lanes and deep holes.
DeWolfe lives about 10 minutes east of Alma, N.B., a village of less than 300 people.
But separating DeWolfe from the village is a stretch of Route 114 eroded by a winter storm and down to one lane. For the rural community, finding another route isn’t an option.
“If I have to go to Alma to the store or anything I have to go. Or I go the other way and hit all them holes. I’m going to take this way,” DeWolfe told Global News on Friday.
Ahead of the summer, residents were told there would be construction to fix the decrepit roads, but DeWolfe believes its current broken state will remain for the time being.
This comes after DeWolfe held several conversations with government that ultimately resulted in his phone calls no longer being answered, he claimed.
“Everybody pays their taxes and tax on everything else. Why can’t they keep the roads up instead of sitting around doing nothing?” he said angrily.
While Alma’s population may be on the smaller side, the village has become known to tourists due to its proximity to Fundy National Park.
At Cleveland Place, a historic village home used as a bookshop and artisan shop, visitors have frequently voiced frustrations about the state of the roads.
“Especially with the concerns for the safety of their vehicles and the space that they’re given in the roadway,” said Jane Chrysostom, owner of Cleveland Place.
Chrysostom said any construction along Route 114 appears to be halted and there’s little conversation with government, so she isn’t optimistic the road will see necessary repairs in the immediate future.
“And to fail to communicate with those who live, work and play here has been egregious,” she added.
Global News reached out to the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure for comment.
A spokesperson provided a link to the province’s three-year infrastructure plan, stating there are “more projects anticipated” for Route 114 in the coming years.
They did not respond to questions about specific timelines for these projects.