New year to see yet another push to open Sydney's 'road to nowhere'
Residents haven't been able to use the road in the 3 years since it was built
Another attempt will be made in the new year to complete Sydney's so-called "road to nowhere" after a three-year impasse.
The road was built along the former coke ovens site following the remediation of the Sydney Tar Ponds. It was built at the request of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality as another way to get from the Ashby area of Sydney to Whitney Pier.
The second route to Whitney Pier is vital to the community's development, said Mike MacKeigan, the CBRM's manager of utilities.
Road blocked
The road connects the Sydney Port Access Road to Victoria Road. It's currently blocked with concrete barriers because of a long-running dispute with Genesee and Wyoming, which owns the railway tracks crossing the entrance on the Port Access Road.
The rail company has safety concerns about vehicles on the road when a train is present, said Gary Campbell, president of Nova Scotia Lands which built the road.
However the company is not currently operating trains on that line, Campbell said.
Another rail company, Sydney Coal Railway, also has concerns about high traffic volumes if the road was opened.
'It looks foolish, really'
Campbell said numerous studies have been done on how to make the road safe and deal with traffic issues. He said those studies have been sent to both rail companies for consideration.
Campbell said he plans to call a meeting in the new year with everyone involved including the rail companies, CBRM and Transport Canada to try to find a way to open the road by the spring.
MacKeigan said it's become a very frustrating situation for everyone, including residents who drive by the blockade every day.
"It looks foolish, really, when you think that a lot of money has been spent to make that site what it is today," he said.
"And then not to be able to utilize the road when it could be helpful to the people and the residents of the community."