Cramahe man wants to ban heavy trucks on Telephone Road
Photo by Caleb Ruiter. Free Use Domain. Unsplash
By: Dan Jones, Northumberland 89.7 FM News
A Cramahe Township man is wanting “No Heavy Truck” signs erected on Telephone Road, stating these large vehicles pose a risk to public safety, degradation of the road and potential environmental damage. David Forsyth presented to Brighton Municipal Council Tuesday, saying the posting of these signs will give the provincial police the authority to enforce this restriction.
“These roads were never designed or constructed for heavy commercial truck traffic. They are local, township roads intended for residents, agriculture, and light-service vehicles, not transport trucks,” Forsyth explained.
When Highway 401 is closed in portions of Northumberland County, authorities activate Emergency Detour Routes (EDR) to divert traffic to smaller municipal arteries. Mayors of Brighton, Cramahe Township and Alnwick-Haldimand Township have long complained that EDR’s put undue stress on county roads, as these roads are not necessarily built for the weight of some transport trucks. These mayors have lobbied the provincial government for compensation consideration, but claim that their concerns are falling on deaf ears. The new commander of the OPP detachment for Northumberland County, recently remarked that OPP will re-examine their position on using detours, a move designed to signal to mayors that he is listening.
Forsyth highlighted that public safety becomes an issue as RV, pulled travel trailers and campers move slowly out of the KOA campground during the summer months. As well, if a vehicle carrying hazardous goods crashes, Telephone Road was not designed with containment in mind.
“Installing ‘No Heavy Truck’ signage on Telephone Road is a proactive, responsible and fiscally sound decision. It protects residents, preserves infrastructure, reduces liability to the Township and enables enforcement,” stated Forsyth.
Council referred Forsyth’s request for signage for municipal staff to further investigate and provide a report to council for later consideration.
