After more than nine months in a ruinous state, the seawall along the Western Head causeway is finally scheduled for repairs.
The block seawall and road were pummeled by storm surges in late December and early March. A large portion of the wall remains toppled over and deep potholes are still present, marked by orange pylons.
The causeway is about six-and-a-half kilometres from downtown Liverpool and is the responsibility of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal (TIR). Bordered by the ocean on one side and Victoria Lake on the other, it is the narrowest link in a loop connecting Western Head, Moose Harbour and Mersey Point.
This scenic route is used, not only by residents and tourists, but by school buses, emergency vehicles and postal workers as well.
TIR declined an interview request from LighthouseNow. However, in an emailed statement, a departmental spokeswoman said repairs to the causeway are scheduled for late September.
“Work will include reinstating the wall, protecting the beach side with armour rock placement, paving and shoulder repairs,” wrote Marla MacInnis. “During these repairs we will be closing a section of the roadway to complete this project for approximately one week. We have allocated $50,000 for the project.”
Queens-Shelburne MLA Kim Masland has been a vocal critic of the province’s slow response.
In January, she posted a video from the causeway pleading for swift repairs to the damaged seawall and road. On March 7, after more damage was sustained, she grilled transportation minister Lloyd Hines during question period, reminding him the block seawall had been breached numerous times since being installed several years ago.
Hines responded by telling Masland Nova Scotia has many ocean roadways that are vulnerable to storm surges and it was government’s job to prioritize repairs. “I’ll undertake to the member that we will take at look at the Western Head causeway and see if it is moved up the priority list,” he said.
In a Sept. 12 interview with LighthouseNow, Masland said she was happy to hear repairs were finally scheduled but disappointed it took so long.
She described the causeway’s condition as “very dangerous,” especially for school buses, and had a warning for Hines. “If it’s not fixed, I can assure you that you’re going to hear a lot more from Kim Masland on this one,” she said.
Region of Queens Municipality councillor Brian Fralic, who represents the Western Head area, said he and Masland have both expended a great deal of energy trying to get the causeway repaired.
“I’ve been meeting with (TIR) for at least two years,” he said. “I was promised it would be done – date after date – every time I reached out. Eventually they stopped giving dates.”
Fralic said he’s concerned the block seawall that’s being used is not the best solution. But he is happy to have it reassembled now and push for a more permanent solution later.
“I believe they know it’s a temporary solution,” he said of TIR officials. “If you have to keep repairing it over and over again, those are funds that could have been used to fix the problem.”
Some type of cement base needs to be installed for the block structure to work, he said. Otherwise, the rocks underneath the blocks will continue to be pulled away during storm surges, causing sections of the wall to collapse.
Sandy Brown, an 11-year resident of Western Head, is also worried about the causeway’s future.
“I’m concerned, because I’m always afraid there won’t be the money to fix it properly,” she said. “I always have a feeling they’re just going to abandon the project. That frightens me, because I really, really want that road to always be there.”
Brown said a lack of communication about when – or even if – repairs were coming has been frustrating for residents. She fears more repairs will be needed in the future if a more permanent fix isn’t found.
“We’re getting more storm surges in the winter,” she said. “I’m a great believer in climate change, so that’s not surprising to me.”
The Queens County causeway is not TIR’s only headache currently. In Lunenburg County, a number of residents are opposed to the work TIR is proposing to carry out on the Crescent Beach roadway and have expressed concerns that the work could negatively impact the beaches’ sand dunes.
LighthouseNow Progress Bulletin
September 26, 2018
Scott Costen 