I am somewhat bemused by the brochure I recently received from Yukon Highways and Public Works asking people to “keep the roadside clear” and explaining that roads are “wider than you think.”
The brochure explains the significance of the right of way, and why the whole width needs to be “free of collision hazards, contaminants and distractions.” I fully concur.
So, how can the Department of Highways and Public Works, which in the brochure states that “if you’ve got stuff there, it is your responsibility to remove it,” condone its own Whitehorse airport maintenance shed, located entirely within the Alaska Highway right-of-way?
The erection of concrete barriers along the shoulder of the road has mitigated the collision hazard with the building, by creating an alternate collision hazard - the barriers. The shed significantly constrains future possible re-alignment of the highway.
So, Highways and Public Works, please live up to your own request. Be responsible and move your “stuff” off the right-of-way. As your brochure states: “Roads have rights, too.”
James Gilpin
Whitehorse