Parents are calling on the city to wrap up construction along Ewen Avenue in Queensborough, saying the dust is causing health problems for their kids.
Terryl Plotnikoff's four-year-old son attends Merseyside Montessori preschool near Boyd Street and Ewen Avenue and last week, Plotnikoff was told by her family doctor that her son would need a puffer to keep his lungs clear.
"The dust is just so bad that he was coughing all (the time)," Plotnikoff told The Record. "(Tuesday) night was the final straw for me because my little guy was up for a good portion of the night because his throat hurt, his eyes hurt and he was coughing."
Last Wednesday, Plotnikoff called the City of New Westminster to explain the trouble her son and other kids at the preschool were having with the excessive dust coming off Ewen Avenue.
"We've been going back and forth with the city all day trying to find out when things are going to move along," she said.
After she and her husband both spoke with city officials, a spray truck was sent to Ewen Avenue to try and contain the dust.
Ewen Avenue was torn up about five months ago and since then it has deteriorated because of the wet weather the city had in spring, Plotnikoff said.
"It's just full of potholes," she said. "So it's either all mud or it's just all dust; it's incredible."
An industrial container storage yard opened across the street from the preschool about three months ago, she added.
According to the city, the construction along Ewen Avenue is about two months behind schedule. Contractors are replacing the utility lines in the road and because of the bad condition of the pavement the city decided to repave it as well. This meant taking the road right back to the gravel and dirt below, said Roger Emanuels, manager of design and construction for New Westminster.
Emanuels said the curbs would be installed June 18 and final paving will be done shortly after that. Until then, he said the city would do its best to keep the dust to a minimum.
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