MULGRAVE — With transport trucks “flying into town” and a massive wind energy project on the horizon, Mulgrave councillors are concerned about increasing wear and tear on local roads and public safety.
During a town council meeting March 3, members voiced frustration over speeding trucks, reckless driving and the impending impact of oversized turbine transports.
“I was making a left-hand turn and, of course, there’s a big transport truck coming up,” one councillor said. “I came out of traffic and the truck was coming [towards me] so I couldn’t make the left-hand turn. There was a dump truck behind me and tractor-trailer behind him. I was thinking they would all stay behind me while I’m sitting there trying to make the left-hand turn. But the dump truck comes around on my right side, and then the transport truck went around on the right side. I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ It’s primarily the truck traffic that I’m concerned about. They are flying into town.”
Councillors discussed solutions, including speed bumps, but noted a regulatory wall that limits what they can do to slow down traffic, particularly on the three-kilometre stretch of provincial highway that runs through much of Mulgrave’s downtown.
“We did look into [speed bumps] a few years ago,” Mayor Ron Chisholm said. “But we’re not allowed to put speed bumps on the main highway. We could do it if it was on a side street or something.”
Mulgrave’s roads are already under strain, and with 24 massive wind turbines set for construction at Port Hawkesbury Paper Wind’s nearby Goose Harbour Lake Wind Farm, council fears road conditions could become even more perilous.
“With the amount of clear-cutting and the width of the road up there ... it’s astounding as to what’s been done already,” one councillor said, commenting that each turbine requires multiple oversized loads, which could accelerate long-term damage to public infrastructure.
Councillors questioned whether the town had any authority to impose weight restrictions or fees to offset road damage. “Is there nothing that we can do with regards to permits or levies or anything about this kind of weighted stress on our road?” one asked.
Officials explained that permits come from the Department of Public Works, leaving Mulgrave with little control. On the upside, increased traffic signifies that business is good. Said Chisholm: “We do have workers down there at the [Canso] Superport who enjoy their jobs.”
For now, council will continue working with law enforcement and provincial officials, but as one councillor put it, “The worst is yet to come.”
