The provincial government plans to spend just under $1-million to install a new breakwater in Trepassey.
The area has see a number of failures and washouts in recent years, the most recent of which was when Hurricane Melissa hit last week.
Damage caused to the breakwater in Trepassey earlier this year. Photo submitted by Sharon Topping.
Area MHA Loyola O’Driscoll says in recent weeks, some affected residents have had to have a bag packed and on the ready in the event of another washout.
A government tender will be awarded shortly and it’s hoped the work can been done within the next month or so.
“We looked at this over the last couple of years as well in regards to the breakwater there and it’s been a concerning issue because when the storm happens they’ve got to pack their bags, they go across, they’ve got to wait till the road is cleared,” he told reporters at Confederation Building today.
“We’re hopeful that this design will fix all those problems.”
Opposition Liberals question costing on repair work
Meanwhile, the Opposition Liberals are denouncing the PCs for not providing accurate costing for the project.
In a statement to VOCM News, the party warned that “identifying a permanent solution has taken longer than implementing temporary fixes that require repeated repairs.”
The party says repairs to a new breakwater, constructed in 2023 were $900,000 in 2024, however the PC government is committing to $750,000 for future repairs.
The Liberals stated that while they were in power, engineers and department officials conducted a thorough assessment and developed engineering plans for a new breakwater.
