Outer Ring Road trash appalling: councillor

A St. John's city councillor wants the Newfoundland and Labrador government to step in and help clean up trash lining the side of a popular highway.

Coun. Danny Breen said he has steadily received complaints about garbage strewn by the Outer Ring Road, and that only part of the arterial highway is the city's responsibility.

"The rest of the Outer Ring Road is provincial government responsibility, and I think it's time we got that cleaned up," Breen said.

"I drive the highway myself and it's absolutely embarrassing to see the garbage and the junk on the road. When you think about the money that's spent on tourism advertising, you arrive at the airport and get out on the highway, and the first thing you see is garbage."

The Outer Ring Road stretches along the northern end of St. John's, connecting the Trans-Canada Highway to the east end of the city. At its east end, it connects to the popular Stavanger Drive shopping district and the Robin Hood Bay garbage dump.

Coun. Wally Collins said other neighbourhoods in the city are dealing with more garbage. He blames the problem on increasing fees at Robin Hood Bay.

"Now with the tipping fees, where we're opening up recycling, there's going to be more people in our way especially — Shea Heights, Goulds, Kilbride areas — going in the back roads and dumping," Collins told Monday evening's council meeting.

"They're not going to go down to Water Street and dump it off."

Breen will be meeting with area MHAs this week on how trash can be cleared from the highway.