'It’s just terrible': Repairs for N.B. rural road not likely for 2024

It's pothole season once again in New Brunswick, the time of year when crews from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure [DTI] gear up for spring repairs.

But there isn’t any work scheduled to take place on Route 895 near Salisbury, N.B., this year.

Local resident Collette Stubbs said she recently got word that was the case.

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“The government emailed me yesterday and said they were going to cheap seal it in 2025 or 2026. Not even taking care of it this year. Chip sealing is only a temporary fix and they don’t take into consideration the amount of traffic that actually drives on those roads,” said Stubbs.

The rural route roughly 30 minutes from Moncton is an artery that connects many small communities like Parkindale and Prosser Brook to nearby Salisbury and Petitcodiac.

Rob Fillmore has been sending emails to Premier Blaine Higgs, DTI Minister Richard Ames and Albert MLA Mike Holland weekly in hopes of bringing some attention to the route and side roads he said have been deteriorated significantly.

“The 895, it’s destroyed and it gets worse and worse every year. They put Band-Aid on top of Band-Aid, patch on top of patch,” said Fillmore. “It’s just terrible. It’s pothole after pothole. And I mean potholes like the size of manhole covers. Two, three, four inches deep.”

Stubbs worries about the well-being of drivers who swerve to avoid potholes on the roads.

“Every day there’s a new pothole or the potholes that are existing are getting bigger and bigger and deeper and deeper,” said Stubbs. “It’s sad that it’s safer to sometimes drive on the wrong side of the road than it is on your actual side of the road.”

Fillmore is urging the province to start repaving Route 895 as soon as possible to ensure the safety of drivers.

“Completely resurfaced. Chewed up and all new fresh pavement. No more patches. No more patches,” said Fillmore.

In a statement to CTV News, Conservative MLA Holland said when they receive any requests regarding roads in his riding it’s brought to the attention of DTI.

“Over the last six years we have worked hard and have seen significant investments in road and infrastructure work in the Albert riding,” said Holland in an email. “We will continue to work with DTI to address concerns residents may have.”

CTV News reached out to DTI for comment on roadwork in the area, but did not hear back by deadline.

For more New Brunswick news visit our dedicated provincial page.