Bill Eben has had it with the ongoing flooding problems on Cowichan Bay Road.
Eben has lived on Bench Road, which connects the Trans Canada Highway and Cowichan Bay Road, for more than 40 years and he said the flooding issues on the road in the area have been ongoing for much of that time.
He said the latest incident occurred on the morning of Jan. 25 when a large chipper truck tried to negotiate the turn from Cowichan Bay Road onto Bench Road on the way to the highway.
Eben said the truck was using the route, which is rarely used by forestry trucks in normal driving conditions, to avoid a section of Cowichan Bay Road that was closed due to flooding.
He said another truck was coming from the other direction on the narrow Bench Road and the chipper truck had to stop while making the turn.
When the truck started to move forward again uphill, its drive shaft broke.
“Trucks, buses and cars were backed up right to the highway for about an hour and a half before the truck was finally removed from the road,” Eben said.
“The truck likely would not have been on the hill in the first place if Cowichan Bay Road was open. The hill going to the highway on Bench Road is bad enough already without this added to it.”
Eben said he’s frustrated that almost nothing has been done to deal with the flooding problems on Cowichan Bay Road over the years.
He said the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has paved the road in recent years, but the road needs to be raised about one metre to deal with the flooding issues.
“The raising of the road would only have to be in the section where a river tributary runs along the side of the road, and where much of the flooding originates,” Eben said.
A statement from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure on the issue said that Cowichan Bay Road is currently flooded due to heavy rain and tide conditions.
“As this is a localized, seasonal occurrence, there are no long-term modifications anticipated on this road,” the statement said.
“We encourage drivers to use caution, and obey all signs including posted speed limits and detours.”