River John residents clamber to get Gunn 4 Road repaired

She said part of the road she has to travel remains muddy and is washing out. She said some residents must drive a half-hour or more out of their way to avoid the washout.

She said she was told no work on the washout will happen until spring.

“We will be stranded here for a while,” she said. “My son is six feet tall and he said it’s 10 feet deep. We knew it was going to wash out because there was nowhere for the water to go. It’s going to cause a lot of issues because seven families here work.”

She said the road is in such disrepair that residents have had to support the road bed with wood products.

“It’s treacherous to drive on now and when it thaws it’s going to be really bad,” she said. “I wish they’d fixed it two years ago when the water was washing up on the road. I’ve been complaining for five years.”

Mary Elliott represents District 4 on Pictou County Municipal Council and acknowledged the road’s repairs are the province’s responsibility. She said she is at a loss as to why it remains in such generally poor shape and now has a washout despite assurances it will be repaired.

“I know it’s a priority,” she said. “I don’t know how the people are coping. A vehicle could sit in there nicely.”

She said her deepest concern is emergency response to tend to residents’ needs quickly.

“It’s so disappointing,” she said. “My concern is if someone needs to get out of there and how it can be done.”

Community Services Minister and Pictou West MLA Karla MacFarlane has seen the road but was not immediately available to comment.

Chris Verge, the Public Works area manager for Colchester but whose responsibilities include part of Pictou County where the road is located, said weather and land conditions must improve before repairs can proceed.

“We’ll try and keep it as safe as possible,” he said. “I hope to get it repaired as soon as possible, but I can’t give a specific time. It’s just a very challenging time of year.”