PUSLINCH – Dufferin Aggregates has been granted permission to extend its morning hours of operation and extend its season into December.
On Oct. 7, Kevin Mitchell of CRH Canada Group Inc., which operates in Puslinch as Dufferin Aggregates, appeared before Puslinch council for the final update on how the roundabout construction at the intersection of Wellington Roads 46 (Brock Road) and 34 impacted his business.
The construction began on Sept. 8 and was largely completed by Sept. 25. During construction Dufferin Aggregates used an alternate haul route that resulted in less aggregate transferred from Aberfoyle Pit 2 (4445 Victoria Rd. S.) to Aberfoyle Pit 1 (125 Brock Rd.).
The business is back to using its designated haul route and will no longer be going through Morriston.
“We were having a difficult time through that construction project so we limited the amount of trucks and then the drivers were getting frustrated and at times it was difficult for us to get trucks,” he said.
“We ate into … inventory during this temporary truck haul road matter.”
He said the stockpiles on the property are pretty much gone and the company would like to build them back up.
“As the season has progressed we’ve been fairly busy and as a result of that we’d like to be able to keep processing and so we’re not able to process the material that’s not there that we’ve eaten into and also to meet the needs of the customer over the winter,” Mitchell said.
He asked council to extend the hauling season from the end of November to Dec. 18. He also asked to have hauling hours start at 7am instead of 8am.
“Because if you can’t start until 8 it’s difficult to get trucks,” he said. “If they’re working at other projects they can go there and start earlier than that.”
Mayor James Seeley confirmed allowing hauling to commence at 7am means gates are open at 7am and no earlier.
When the township first temporarily extended the hours throughout the construction, Seeley said he saw trucks parked on Victoria Road waiting for the gates to open.
“We work very carefully with the truck drivers to make sure they’re not sitting and fueling on the side of the road,” Mitchell said.
“That’s the number one thing for us and then the second thing is to make sure that when they do come in, ideally it’s as close to that hour when we’re opening and that’s when they would arrive.”
Seeley said even when the start time was 8am the trucks were arriving earlier and earlier.
“I would be comfortable for the remainder of the year going to 7am as long as the creep doesn’t happen,” he said.
“As long as trucks aren’t rolling up at 6:05, sitting on the road, disturbing the houses.”
The idea is that the trucks would arrive close to 7am and then the first trucks would start to leave, loaded, by 7:05 or 7:10am.
Councillor Matthew Bulmer asked for clarification that the 7am start was only for this year.
Mitchell said the company would like to use the earlier start as a trial until Dec. 18.
“Make sure it works and make sure that the township finds that it’s working and that our company is doing as we said we would do,” he said.
“And then the intent would be if that’s fine and acceptable to council today … we would come back next spring and have the same conversation again for next year if things went well.”
Councillor Jessica Goyda pointed out the company received the same extension last year.
“I have no problem with that going on an extra … three weeks,” she said.
“I know it has been kind of a bit of a difficult time for the past several weeks so … I have no problem with that.”
Council unanimously approved hauling to temporarily commence at 7am from Monday to Friday and extended the season from Nov. 30 to Dec. 18 for this year.
