Another Tale of Two Standards

There are ruts on the Outer Ring Road in St. John's.

There are calls for a guard rail.

So, without advocating that the Outer Ring Road be made "eligible for federal funding", and without making it "subject to Federal cost shared commitment", the provincial government responds to a fatal accident, and goes ahead and throws money at it.

No strings attached.

As NTV reports:

Outer Ring Road Upgrades
November 9, 2006

For those who use the Outer Ring Road there is one construction site that is welcome. Contractors began the process of resurfacing the rut ridden portion of the Trans Canada Highway between Thorborn Road and Paradise in the westbound lane. The four hundred thousand dollars worth of work comes on the heals of complaints about the roads condition following a fatal accident on Monday. Police say that black ice was a factor and they’re investigating whether speed was a factor in the mishap that saw a truck lose control cross the median and collide with an oncoming car. Resurfacing is not where the governments review of the highly criticized road will end… in fact, a spokesperson with the Department of Transportation says government is now reviewing whether a guard rail system should be installed to prevent vehicles from crossing the center divider between the east and westbound lanes.

...

The city of St. John’s is responsible for all roads within the city except for the Outer Ring Road and Pitts Memorial Drive…