Dear Editor:
RE: Council awards $1.3-million tender for 8th Line, Fife Road projects, April 17.
Based on this article, Fife Road is going to be resurfaced. It also says the County of Wellington needs “a formal detour route during Wellington Road 124 upgrades in 2026.”
Questions that need to be asked include: is the asphalt portion of the road going to take away from the width of the shoulders?
There are deep drainage ditches on each side of Fife Road – will the width of the shoulders be reduced? Will the shoulders be paved? Ditches are needed for proper drainage, as most of this area is wetlands. There is a high maintenance of shoulders due to the deterioration and run off of sand. Asphalt shoulders would make economic sense in the long run.
This section is relatively densely populated. Residents pick up mail across the road, residents walk to visit each other and for exercise, there are cyclists and people from the City of Guelph on Fife Road. There are many safety hazards. Breaking off and falling branches from the old decaying trees along Fife Road. After a windy day, it is a hazard to walk or bike because the shoulders are littered with fallen tree limbs. There is always speeding/overtaking cars.
The two speed measuring devices were installed in very questionable locations. One on the top of the hill, the other only a few feet from the traffic light – both where cars do not reach the average travelling speed.
There used to be regular clean-up of the ditches. Mosquitoes breed in standing waters, Buckthorn trees are growing in abundance.
Agnes Belosic,
Guelph