Transportation and Works
June 15, 2015

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable David Brazil, Minister of Transportation and Works:

Outer Ring Road Cleanup Results in Clean and Safe Roadway

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to inform this Honourable House that yesterday 62 employees of the Department of Transportation and Works undertook a clean-up of the Outer Ring Road from Logy Bay Road to Portugal Cove Road. Crews worked hard, and the result was the removal of approximately 3,000 bags of garbage or 25 to 30 tons from the sides of the road.

Mr. Speaker, keeping our provincial highways clean and litter-free is important to the employees of the Department of Transportation and Works and to the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is also important to the many visitors who travel our roads during the summer tourist season.

Every year, Transportation and Works crews undertake a clean-up of key areas of the province�s highway system. Areas of greatest concern, and therefore our areas of focus, are Pitts Memorial, the Outer Ring Road, the Lewin Parkway in Corner Brook and Route 450 (South Shore Highway) to the waste disposal site. In addition to these targeted clean-ups, crews pick up bigger items on the province�s highways, such as large household items, on a regular basis.

Mr. Speaker, items that are tossed or fall from vehicles onto the road can be safety hazards for motorists and also for the highway crews who must collect them. We remind everyone to dispose of their garbage and old household items in a responsible and appropriate manner. We all share a responsibility to protect our environment, and also to be mindful of the safety of crews and fellow motorists.

I would like to thank motorists for their patience during the closure of the Outer Ring Road yesterday, and we appreciate their co-operation for the second phase of the clean-up, which is being planned for next month and will take place between Allandale Road and Topsail Road.

Thank you.