Editor:

Thank you for the coverage of my dialogue with ‘the Authorities’ concerning the drop off at the end of the guard rail east of the Richmond Loop project.

I really dislike being stonewalled.

Unfortunately, while I did succeed in getting a bunch of officials to look at the situation, I was not able to get MoT&I to actually fix the problem.  As your article points out, all the people with any influence in the situation were at a site inspection; and they decided to do nothing, citing procedure & regulations etc.

The guard rail still ends before, and in line with the drop-off.  It has not been moved. 

A sign has been installed; since I first raised this question, just beyond the drop off, directing traffic to observe the three-lane section. This provides some visual indication of the safe line of traffic, but leaves the drop off exposed. The drop off lies between the end of the guardrail and this sign.

If you were to drive off the road at this point you would end up on top of, or near the autobody shop on Richmond Loop, and would likely require extensive repairs!  I don’t know exactly how deep the drop off actually is, but I would guess it’s between 15 and 20 metres.

If the end of the guardrail were moved a metre or so to the left, aligning it with the pre-existing shoulder, which lies up the hill, beyond the end of the project, the problem would go away.

‘Nuff said?

Ian Carnie

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