Irked drivers have been dealing with the messy aftermath of a concrete pour at a Highway 400 construction site in Barrie’s south end last week, which left their vehicles damaged.
The site is a new bridge construction site at the Essa Road interchange in Barrie.
Current work ongoing there is on the bridge deck above the city street.
Leo Bakker says he was travelling on Essa Road on Oct. 31 at approximately 11:30 p.m. when something didn’t seem right to him. He and his fiance were heading toward downtown Barrie that day.
“We saw what looked like water, or muddy water, dripping from the bridge that is in mid-build,” he told BarrieToday. “We would have avoided it, but the lanes were locked up and we thought nothing of it. It fell like water drops onto the car, and wiped it away easily with our wipers.
"When we got home, we realized it was concrete on the car and not mud.”
The hardened concrete has been quite an issue for some vehicle owners.
“I cannot get it off my vehicle. It has left a residue that will not come off,” Amy Smith told BarrieToday.
“I hand-washed it with a car soap using good old elbow grease, but to no avail. My car is pretty much brand new and I’m heartbroken,” she lamented.
Smith said she was driving under the bridge at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 31.
“Suddenly, I hear a pelting noise, kind of like hail hitting my vehicle. I immediately washed my windshield because I could no longer see out of it,” she said.
Smith said she drove home and noticed “massive blobs of dirty splats” on her vehicle.
“It was Halloween, so I was busy getting ready for the night. The next day I washed my vehicle, but the debris would not come off,” she added.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) says it is aware of the the issue in Barrie.
“All efforts are taken to ensure a safe work area for all the travelling public as well as the construction crew,” Tanya Blazina, senior media relations manager with the MTO, told BarrieToday in an email Friday afternoon.
“Last week, during placement of the concrete deck, there was a minor leak which may have resulted in an impact to some vehicles,” she added. “Anyone impacted by this leakage should contact the contractor to discuss these issues at [email protected].”
Complainants are asked to provide date of the incident, time and any available photos pertaining to their claim.
In correspondence to the complainants, which has been obtained by BarrieToday, the contractor, GIP, said making a claim against them is “different from making a claim with your insurance company.”
They noted that making a claim through their own insurance company “means that you are taking advantage of your existing insurance coverage for your personal assets, via your insurance policy, whereas a claim against GIP requires an investigation to determine whether or not GIP is liable before any compensation can be provided with respect to repairs/costs.”
GIP encourages people to contact their insurance company, saying “if you have not already, as your existing insurance coverage may be more extensive than the recovery that could be provided from GIP.
“Your insurance company may seek to recover damages against GIP on your behalf. For property damage claims, if GIP is found to be negligent, the amount that you may receive in compensation is limited to the condition of the property just before the damage occurred,” the company wrote.
What this means for people who have been affected remains to be seen.
“I need a whole new paint job as my car still has (concrete) all over it,” said another driver, Ashley Adams. “What I think is unfair is now it’ll hurt me for insurance, and I have to pay my deductible?
“I just got my car not even two months ago," she added. "They should be responsible for paying for it, not me, and hurting my insurance ... They had it draining all day onto peoples cars. I’m glad no one was hurt.”
The MTO is constructing a new interchange at Essa Road and Highway 400, while also widening Essa Road to six lanes between Fairview Road and Bryne Drive/Ardagh Road. This work also includes significant roadwork on Highway 400, between Harvie Road and Tiffin Street.
The project’s construction phase began in June 2022 and is anticipated to be completed by the fall of 2025.
The construction contract’s value for the Essa Road bridge replacement project is $105.4 million, and costs are shared between MTO and the City of Barrie.
