Land owner confused about Team Gushue Highway plans, says he hasn't heard from government
'They won't tell me anything,' says Doug Manstan, who worries his land will be expropriated
Further construction on the long-planned Team Gushue highway has been held up by a lack of land, with key areas needed for the planned roads still belonging to the federal government or private citizens.
Construction of the extension has stalled at Brookfield Road. When the then-Liberal government released its budget earlier in April, they said they did not yet have the land needed to proceed further with construction on the highway extension.
That leaves Doug Manstan confused. He owns a parcel of land near Heavy Tree Road, and the most recent plans for the extension show construction of the road or its ramps going right over his property.
"Not a clue," Manstan said when asked where things stand for him and the provincial government at this point.
"They won't tell me anything."
Worried about expropriation
The provincial government previously purchased three parcels of land from Manstan, but he kept as access to a larger parcel of property behind that and the provincially owned lots. Government have also bought other nearby parcels of property along Heavy Tree and Brookfield roads. Some remaining land in the area appears important for the highway's construction and is still owned by either private citizens or the federal government.
Manstan is willing to consider selling his land, he said — but he hasn't been able to get any information from the provincial government on whether or not they want to buy it, and how much they would offer if they do.
In 2015, the provincial government announced that a section of the extension that was supposed to be paved that year was being put off. The construction was supposed to be completed in 2014, with the paving to be done in 2015.
Nearly four years later, a section of Team Gushue Highway between Kenmount Road and Topsaid Road has opened but it's unclear when further parts of the extension will be complete.
Every time he requests information from the government about their plans for the Team Gushue extension, Manstan said, things have changed or he is told that nothing is definite.
Manstan is concerned that the government will expropriate the 50-foot-wide lot of land that touches Heavy Tree Road, which would cut off his access to the larger property he owns running behind that lot. He doesn't want to sell the land, but if he must he wants it to be worth his while, he said.
"If it all comes to call and they go along with what they say and take this land from me, I want fair market value for that piece of land," he said.
"So it's going to cost them a lot of money."
When contacted by CBC News for comment, the Department of Transportation and Works said it wouldn't be appropriate for them to comment during the election campaign.
With files from Cecil Hare