Trucks to be barred from crossing Mackenzie/Wismar bridge during rush hour

Apr 09, 2018 News

– Regional Chairman

By Enid Joaquin

The issue of trucks traversing the Mackenzie Wismar bridge was highlighted during last Thursday’s RDC statutory meeting with one councillor citing the danger that this poses to commuters using the facility, and Regional Chairman Rennis Morian advocating that the trucks be mandated to park until the end of the morning rush hour.
This followed a suggestion by Councilor Douglas Gittens, who said that the trucks often appear overweight and should be prohibited from crossing the bridge during peak periods.
Several residents have repeatedly lamented the issue of the trucks being allowed to cross during the peak hours in the mornings and cited the sometimes precariously perched logs as life threatening.
Regional Chairman Rennis Morian even alluded to an incident where the chain securing lumber on a truck had snapped in the vicinity of the Five Corner on the Washer Pond Road.
“The lumber had rolled helter skelter; fortunately the road was clear at the time”, Morian said.
Attention was also drawn to trucks that traverse on the town’s main roadways.
It was suggested that an alternative route be used for these trucks.
During the discourse, Morian alluded to two children who were killed on the Winifred Gaskin Highway.
Councilor Charles Sampson said that an alternative route has to be urgently fixed so that these trucks can detour from the main thoroughfare.

A common sight on Linden’s roadways: A timber truck driver waits to pay toll

Morian also threatened to take to the streets and with the collaboration of the police, divert those trucks that are traversing the town’s main and busy roadways.
He stressed that the trucks should be traversing roads identified for their use, away from densely populated areas.
But one councilor argued that to enforce this, the designated detour has to be rehabilitated urgently as it has been significantly damaged by erosion.
Reverting to the bridge issue Morian warned that the Regional administration which would be working closely with the police will be implementing a system to deal with errant truck drivers.
“On Saturday I was going to Amelias Ward and there was this truck blocking the road, I called out the police and they had that corrected, but that was a one off (incident). Other than that, what I have done is send out letters to Forestry and Natural Resources and I want them to send to us what are the regulations and the rules regarding these trucks, because I’m meeting with the police and security services next week and I want to discuss those regulations with them. We don’t police the roads, if there is something happening we bring it to their attention.”, Morian said.
He however said, that if he does not get a response by this week, he will inform these agencies on behalf of the residents of Region Ten that to save lives, the trucks would have to park until the morning rush hour ends.
Huge lumber trucks traversing through the town of Linden and particularly the Linden Soesdyke Highway at nights have always been a cause of concern to residents who are conscious of the danger they pose.
The trucks which sometimes break down on the highway at nights have caused many a fatal accident, the worst being one in 2007 where ten Lindeners lost their lives.
Calls were subsequently made for the trucks to stop traversing the thoroughfare after nightfall.
However to date, several of these trucks could still be seen on the highway at any hour of the night.

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