Newmarket resident John Hall has long had issues driving on Davis Drive near his home.
Ongoing construction at the intersection of Davis and Patterson Street for the Kingsley Square condominium project has only made it worse.
He said he understands the need for some interference with regular traffic, but when he saw a portion of a lane being blocked throughout the May long weekend for a parked backhoe — with no construction going on at the time — causing what he described as a horrendous traffic jam, it drew his ire.
“Davis Drive is an absolute disaster of a road, anyway, to me, and now they’re taking advantage,” he said. “This is just kind of the wrong way to go about doing this … It’s frustrating.”
Hall said there is cause for community concern in Newmarket when construction contractors are not doing all they can to reduce their projects' impact on public roadways.
“It seems, to me, like that construction site is certainly taking advantage of that whole intersection,” he said.
York Region’s director of roads, traffic and fleet Joseph Petrungaro confirmed the lane blockage was associated with the nearby condominium construction at the intersection. The contractor had obtained a road occupancy permit for the site to restrict lanes during work times.
“The contractor indicated lanes were not closed over the weekend; however, road plates and barrels over a trench excavation were in place to warn and protect the public,” Petrungaro said.
Any type of work or closure on a regional road requires a permit, Petrungaro said. Permits define the work hours and aim to keep traffic lanes open as much as possible.
“York Region appreciates the concern being brought forward; all lanes are now fully open for public use outside of work times,” Petrungaro said.
The region encourages residents to submit any incidents of concern, along with location and photographs, to [email protected]. You can also call 1-877-464-9675 ext. 75000 or use York Region’s Report a Problem form.
“Problems will be reviewed and actioned for appropriate follow-up,” Petrungaro said.
Hall said the parked vehicle did not make any sense to him, and as someone who used to work in the hydro industry, he's familiar with permit requirements.
“I feel like I’m the only one that looks at this kind of stupidity,” he said.
