The Municipal District of Pincher Creek is urging the provincial government for support in mitigating dust issues on Maycroft Road, a gravel road connecting tourists to the Livingstone Public Land Use Zone.
Also known as The Gap, The Livingstone Public Land Use Zone is a recreator’s paradise, offering camping, ATV trails, fishing and more, and the number of tourists visiting the area continues to rise each year.
The tourist traffic is a nightmare for the 16 residents who live along the road, including Heather Smith.
“It’s an absolute dustbowl. It’s incredibly difficult to deal with,” said Smith. “It’s quite scary. Several vehicles going one way, and several the other way. It’s a blizzard of dust.”
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A traffic count conducted by the M.D. of Pincher Creek during the summer months found approximately 240 vehicles using Maycroft Road per day, not including long weekends.
Maycroft Road resident Tim Swinton says only a fraction of that number accounts for locals.
“It’s literally hundreds on weekends, and local traffic, I doubt if it’s 30 visits a day,” said Swinton.
Smith, along with some of her neighbours, has been asking both municipal and provincial governments for help for decades. She says their calls for support have been falling upon deaf ears.
“Nobody seems to really listen, and if they do, they just pass the buck,” said Smith. “They don’t really care, and it’s really disappointing.”
Years ago, Maycroft Road was owned by the province, before it was passed along to the M.D. of Pincher Creek, who is responsible for its maintenance.
Smith and her neighbours believe the province should take back responsibility of the road.
M.D. of Pincher Creek Reeve Rick Lemire says it would cost $8 million to pave the road, which is over half the M.D.’s budget. He’s asking the provincial government to provide some form of support in mitigating the dust issues.
“Come to the table and let’s talk,” said Lemire. “We’ll cost share. We’re not saying we’ve got our hat in our hand, but we’re not eating the whole million.”
Watch the video in the player above to learn more.
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