There have been some repairs to Highway 841 south of Drumheller, although area residents say it not a lasting fix.
The Drumheller Mail reported to readers the condition of the road between Highway 9 and Dalum. Last summer the road began to slough creating what many considered a hazard. The department of transportation is aware of the roads condition and last week made some repairs.
“It’s a Band-aid at best,” said Jim Eskeland who lives near the damaged road. “All they did was push some gravel in to the hole, with no packer.”
In his estimation the road is still not safe. The repairs allowed highway contractors to move the barricades over to make the driving lanes slightly wider.
“It is still not safe, when the frost comes out of the ground in the spring, without compaction it is just going to slough away anyways. To me it is a dangerous situation,” said Eskeland.
In many was it is too little too late for Eskeland and a source of frustration.
“The hard part is they took two months to do a Band-aid fix. If that is all they were going to do, why didn’t they do it back when they could have used track hoe, dug aerogun and packed it?” he asked.
Tony Chelick of Alberta Transportation told The Mail previously that the site will be studied again in the spring of 2013 and a more substantive repair will be programmed.
Highway 841, also known as the Taylor Siding Road, has seen some minor repairs recently, though residents are concerned the repairs will not be a lasting solution. The road bean to slough, which created a hazardous situation according to motorists who frequently use the road. Alberta Transportation has indicated they intend to conduct a review of the road in the spring.