Construction of the roundabout along Highway Two at Bloomfield Corner is scheduled to start in May, 2017 and be completed two months later. Plans were announced during a Transportation, Infrastructure and Energy public information meeting Wednesday night in Alberton.
Most of Wednesday’s meeting focused on plans for replacing the Cascumpec Bridge this year and Stephen Yeo, Director of Capital Projects for the department indicated the bridge project is the reason the roundabout won’t be happening until next year.
Mark Thrasher, owner of Bloomfield Corner XTR and Convenience Store and landlord of the KFC restaurant on the corner, expressed disappointment Thursday in Government’s decision.
“I would expect the government should come and talk to us about that. We have a business there; we make a living,” Thrasher said.
“If they are going to cut 50 per cent of my traffic off, they should, at least, have the courtesy to come and talk to us.”
He reasons that the very nature of the roundabout, with access to the business from the highway for eastbound vehicles and from the roundabout’s O’Halloran Road exit for all other vehicles, will deter many of that latter group of vehicles.
“That’s not fair to the business that’s there. It pretty much kills off 50 per cent of our business. Who’s going to bother staying in the roundabout and then turning down the Bloomfield (O’Halloran) Road and try to turn in? They will keep on going up the highway.”
Thrasher said he is unaware of any consultations on the intersection prior to announcing the roundabout. “We’re obviously quite disappointed. I’m sure they wouldn’t appreciate if I just went ahead and built something without asking them,” he said.
“Maybe somebody would have put another idea forward that might be cheaper and solve the problem just as easily without affecting somebody’s livelihood.”
Had they asked his opinion, Thrasher said he would have recommended putting a bend in the Mill River East Road and bringing it out to the highway behind the Kent Building Supply Store.
He suggested the majority of collisions occurring at the intersection have involved vehicles pulling out from the Mill River East Road, a situation that could be avoided through a realignment of that road.
Yeo told residents during Wednesday’s public meeting the department has already made changes at the intersection but problems persist.
“We’ve reduced speeds there, we did turning lanes, we bought some property, and we’re still having complaints and we see issues there, as well,” he said.
He indicated the Department will be taking measures this year, including LED radar feedback signage and paint markings on the roadways to improve safety.