MHA files petition for money for Route 60 in C.B.S.

The provincial government wants the Town of Conception Bay South to take over the portion of Route 60 within its boundaries, the main road running through town.

Discussions are ongoing, with two meetings of bureaucrats in the last month and a half, but there are no agreements or formal negotiations yet.

While possibilities on responsibility for the road are bounced back and forth, Conception Bay South MHA Barry Petten said the province needs to shell out some more money for the road’s upkeep.

Route 60 through C.B.S., “has been deteriorating and requires major upgrades,” according to a petition put to the House of Assembly by Petten last week.

A mirror petition was also filed by Progressive Conservative Leader Paul Davis.

Petten spoke about the road again during a committee meeting the same week, during a line-by-line review of the Transportation budget.

He said he gets complaints all the time about the road and has received about 20 calls within a 24-hour period, based just on tire blowouts from potholes. And that’s just a small illustration of the problem, he told The Telegram, making reference to worn out shoulders and a need for widening at points.

He said the road has not deteriorated to the level where he would say there is an immediate threat to life from its condition.

But the road is the fifth-busiest in the province and that should be kept in mind, he said.

He gave credit to the provincial government for patching potholes and completing some expensive overpass work, but said more spending on maintenance is needed, and he’d like to know when it’s coming.

Transportation Minister Steve Crocker was asked specifically about ownership. He mentioned the section of Route 60 running through Paradise has been taken over by Paradise, while the section through Mount Pearl has been taken over by Mount Pearl. With the Conception Bay South bypass (Peacekeepers Way) in place, he said, the town has been approached about its Route 60 stretch.

Mayor Terry French confirmed this, saying the recent discussions have involved bureaucrats on both sides.

But both Crocker and French said it was all a long way from a deal.

The core issue with any transfer is cost, including any immediate upgrades and long-term maintenance and repair needs.

One theory is the town could take over the road after an up-front expenditure by the province. But even if that were on the table, the proposal has its issues, according French.

“Even if everything was done to the nines, it would certainly be a big cost for the taxpayers of C.B.S. to take over,” he said.

French said no proposal from the province would make headway unless it made sense for town residents, and any plan would have to be cost neutral for Conception Bay South.

There are issues beyond the blacktop. French said there is a need for replacement of culverts along the roadway, for example — a multi-million-dollar project. From the mayor’s view, it would need to be addressed before a handoff of the road.

In the meantime, French echoed Petten in saying the road as it stands has “major issues,” with complaints from users common.

“(But) the minister in his defence was open to us, listened to us and was open to relieving some of the stress on Route 60,” he said, adding potholes do get filled when the calls are made.

Crocker said he’s interested in finding ways to better manage maintenance work like snowclearing and pothole filling, while C.B.S. remains a town with a provincial highway down its centre. The provincial highway is served by provincial staff and fleets, while municipal staff and vehicles are running along that highway to get to the town’s many other roadways.

“It’s not efficient,” he said, adding it’s a situation that occurs in plenty of other parts of the province.

“This is where we want to talk to municipalities and find a better way to provide these services,” he said.

Petten said his main issue is upkeep. The province still owns Route 60 and he’d like to know a general schedule for planned spending on the highway over the next few years.