Letter: An open letter to the town on 642

Oct 26, 2018 Editorial & Opinion, Letters 28

I do not blame the town or town council for the mess on 100 Ave. However, I do feel that the town and town council should have some say in whether this mess is permitted to continue.

The street is a mess of rocks and sand that has spread into all intersections along 100 Ave. The worst being at the traffic lights and in places it is a sandbox. Fortunately the motorcycle season is coming to a close. The recent street sweeping was unsatisfactory. Rock and dirt swept to within 3 feet of the curb at the closest. These rocks have already begun to migrate back onto the roadway. Unwashed rock should not have been used and I do believe that the only thing that will wash out are the rocks. Walk downtown at sunset, look west and there is a brown haze. Any one walking
down 100 Ave. at the same time a semi goes past at speed is covered in dust.
There was enough road noise before the chipping. Now it is much worse.

Property values must be less for any housing along 100 Ave. The chip rock did
not always stay imbedded in the tar and in many places there is a smooth tarred surface along the driven path. Walking across the roadway one has to make a point of lifting their feet up or risk snagging on the rocks due to the unevenness of the roadway. Any handicapped people or the elderly
crossing the roadway using a walker must be at risk of falling. Town parades are going to be interesting. Marching and dancing along 100 Ave. will be dangerous. Bicycle riders must have a hard time given the newly created unevenness in the roadway. I suspect bike groups will avoid Morinville due to the mess. Are storm sewers meant to handle the sand and gravel that will be washed down the grates?

A chipped highway is indeed safer and cheaper that pavement but likeeverything else there is a limit. The chipping should not have been done in the town limits. Department of transport has assured me that the project has a one-year warranty period, and another inspection next fall will provide an
opportunity to address any remaining concerns. And in the meantime…..careful walking, parading, bicycling, riding, driving, etc, along 100 Avenue.

The following is in jest but Town council should consider the following:

1) The dust cloud kicked up by vehicles covers all park benches along 100
Ave. Town council should ensure there is enough monies in the next budget to
include relocation of all effected park benches to west of the RR tracks or
anywhere on 100 Ave.

2) A discount on 2019 taxes and a rebate for 2018 taxes for all business located east of the RR Tracks on 100 St to help cover the costs associated with cleaning their windows.

3) A similar discount on 2019 taxes and a rebate for 2018 taxes tax discount
for all homeowners living on 100 Ave between the RR Tracks and the east
boundary. Homeowners living up to 1 block on either side (north or south)
of 100 St should be included. Vehicles, windows, decks are covered.

Bill Hubbard
Morinville

Editor’s note: the letter above orignally referenced 100 St. but has been corrected to indicate 100 Ave.

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25 Comments

  4. I’ve been trying to stay positive about this road but it’s a goddamn disaster and an embarrassment to the town. I get it, it’s not the towns fault, but something needs to be done to fix it.

    I’ve lived in Morinville for 7 years and we’re finally starting to see some progress around town and then this. 1 step forward and 2 steps back ??‍♂️

  6. I completely agree. It’s a mess something needs to be done asap. I have gotten a chip in my windshield and when I walk to sobeys on my break I have had rocks fly towards me. Very dangerous. Yes Jean Wichowski potholes are a big problem as well. This is our town we need to give it some TLC.

  7. I have never seen such a disaster! Looks unfinished, it’s messy and makes Morinville look like a hick, one-horse town. Who in their right mind thought this was a good idea??

      • Sorry about calling 100 Avenue 100 Street. When I wrote the letter I must have been oxygen deprived from inhaling dust while walking along 100 Ave.

  11. I have avoided this road like the plague since the project started, I used to travel this road every day to leave town and now will only cross it if I need too. My windshield was replaced shortly after the work began and to me it’s not worth the risk. I’d love to see the progress on the Rec Center but that idea isn’t worth the potential vehicle damage on my newer vehicle. Such a complete and utter disappointment for our town.

  14. My question is why are we singled out.
    did legal get this done too I know Boyle didn’t , or how about other communities that have a hyway passing thru it?.

    • Thank goodness this did not happen in the town of Legal. I believe it was last year or the year before our town did get repaved (properly).
      But i did notice gravel also got put on the highway 803 (Legal to Hwy 28) this year.

  15. NDP government trying to save money at our expense! Lots of voters in this town! 642 is a disaster! Paving would have taken a week at most. Maybe the snow will cover up the mess so when people visit our town they won’t notice. I’m so embarrassed!

  17. I also heard they are taking out the stop lights at the main intersection, and going back to a 4 way stop plus putting candles in all of the street lights on Main Street to make it look like the Wild West… The first step was to make the roads gravel again . Then the street lights..
    The Zoo has already complied with the new Wild West face lift program of 2018

  19. Don’t forget about the people who live just off of 642.
    The highway is poorly done, in addition to Main Street morinville. We had to replace a windshield in a brand new truck due to a rock that punctured the windshield while driving on 642 and it cost just under 1000.

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