Fosterville, North Lake residents say DoT crews' pot hole repairs made the problem worse

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By Shawn Merrithew

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Speak Up

Residents and cottage owners in Fosterville and North Lake say road conditions along Route 122 are deplorable.

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PHOTO BY SHAWN MERRITHEW

A large chunk of granite is making its way up through the road, cracking the asphalt along Route 122, just before the Hide Away Lodge. Area residents and cottage owners want the road repaired.

PHOTO BY SHAWN MERRITHEW

A motorist drives over a painted man-made rut on Route 122. Residents and cottage owners in North Lake and Fosterville are upset over the conditions of Route 122, claiming DoT crews' patching job has left the road worse shape.

During spring patching, one cottage owner, who wished not to be identified, says Department of Transportation (DoT) crews botched the job.

In fixing a pothole – which lies just before the Hide Away Lodge when travelling west from Graham Corner – crews have made the problem even worse, alleged the cottage owner.

"The road was in better shape than before they patched it," he said. "It looks like they just dumped asphalt on it and didn't bother to smooth it out."

The pothole still remains, he added, but something he described as a speed bump sits before it.

To make matters worse, he pointed out, a large chunk of granite is pushing its way up through the road just a few metres away.

"They patched to pothole, but did nothing about the granite," the cottage owner explained. "They would have had to pass right over it to fix the pothole they messed up on."

Fosterville resident Tom Kinney agrees the road conditions are horrible and need to be fixed.

"Route 122 is despicable," he said.

DoT spokesperson Tracey Burkhardt confirmed crews did patching along Route 122. Repairs in some areas, she added, didn't turn out as planned.

With regards to the granite pushing up through the road, she said, such problems arise "because rocks move with the frost action and can eventually make their way through to the surface of the road."

DoT crews are expected to fix the problem, Burkhardt said, but it will take some time.

"They (DoT crews) have to get some equipment to deal with this situation, and they plan to in there by next week, weather permitting, to address the situation and see what we can do to fix the road there," Burkhardt explained.

In the meantime, residents and cottage owners have taken steps to warn motorists.

They spray painted yellow circles around the problem areas to make the bumps and potholes more visible.