Road weary

A group of 30 residents from Eastport and the surrounding area were on hand last Wednesday to greet motorists driving past the entrance to Route 310 and share their concerns over the state of the road leading to the Eastport Peninsula.

"The bumps, the potholes, and the shoulder - we've had several accidents where people have gone off the pavement," said Mayor Genevieve Squire of Eastport.

The protest was held to help raise awareness about the state of the road. Those attending held signs and handed out pamphlets to drivers turning on to Route 310 from the Trans Canada Highway.

"This road is used by two fish plants, so you have a lot of heavy vehicles going over it, and the Shriners have an RV park out there, and everyday you have trailers and motor homes going over that road. It's just deteriorated, and there has been little or no maintenance done," said the mayor.

The road navigates through a portion of Terra Nova National Park, and comes under the jurisdiction of the federal government concerning any upgrades.

Mayor Squire said dialogue with Parks Canada on the state of the roads has been ongoing for a number of years, along with petitions and letter-writing campaigns.

"The thing is that this road is a priority for Terra Nova National Park. They don't have the dollars. The dollars have to come from Ottawa, and we have to make people aware that we're not second-class citizens living on this peninsula. This road is a lifeline, and it's one everyone has to use to get in and out."

Dawson Collins, a resident of Eastport who moved back there three months ago, said the road is in "deplorable" shape.

"It's wrecking our vehicles. People are taking them to the garage because they're hitting potholes."

He also pointed to the strain put on people transported in emergency situations by ambulances travelling Route 310.

"By the time they get to the hospital, they're quite shaken up."

Bonavista-Gander-Grand Falls-Windsor MP Scott Simms was also on hand for the protest, and said stimulus funds were spent in Terra Nova National Park, but it was unfortunate none were used for the road.

"It's not just the pavement - the shoulders of the roads are deteriorating, and there's a lot of foot traffic, car traffic, and RV traffic heading towards the Eastport Peninsula, especially in the last five years."

He said Park Canada's management needs to find a way to get funds allocated for Route 310 as well as Route 301 leading to the community of Terra Nova. Mr. Simms said the town has similar concerns over the state of its dirt road.

While Mayor Squire said the turnout for the protest was very good, she hoped pressure on the federal government would continue.