Red Hill Valley Parkway Road Surfacing Cover Up
In early 2019, the City of Hamilton received information regarding a 2013 friction report related to the Red Hill Valley Parkway. Concerns were raised about the type of paving used and the role the surfacing might have played in the high number of accidents, including several fatalities, on the road. The friction report had not been shared with the public, but was eventually shared with members of staff and Council.
On April 24, 2019, the City passed a resolution pursuant to s. 274 of the Municipal Act, 2001 requesting the Chief Justice of Ontario to appoint a Superior Court judge to investigate matters related to the disclosure of the friction report.
The Honourable Mr. Justice Herman J. Wilton-Siegel was appointed to preside over the inquiry in May 2019.
The consultant involved with the safety report at the centre of the Red Hill Valley Parkway Inquiry says it discussed the damning results with the city of Hamilton on several occasions since 2014.
Golder Associates says the report was brought up in meetings multiple times during the years before the city said staff “became aware” of and found the report in a locked folder in 2018.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/red-hill- valley-parkway-inquiry-applicants-1.5406392
Hamilton Slippery Red Hill Parkway Report
In an unprecedented move, the City of Hamilton has issued a public apology after documents were uncovered, outlining a 2013 study that revealed the Red Hill Valley Parkway is more slippery than it should be.
Acting city manager Mike Zegarac issued the apology in a media release.
“On behalf of the City of Hamilton, staff apologize to Council and the general public for how this matter has come to their attention.”
https://globalnews.ca/news/4933910/hamilton-slippery- red-hill-parkway-report/
Is it safe to drive on the Red Hill Valley Parkway?
That’s the first question on the minds of many following news a damning report raising concerns about friction levels on the asphalt of the heavily- used highway was kept from the public for six years. After the report was rediscovered, council was concerned enough that it had consultant
CIMA+ answer questions about safety, changes to past recommendations and even whether the deadly highway should be closed.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/red-hill-valley- parkway-safe-crash-1.5010022
Red Hill Valley Judicial Investigation
The city will set aside at least $7 million for a judicial investigation into the Red Hill friction fiasco that could stretch over two years. Last month, city council voted to ask a Superior Court judge to probe the circumstances behind the discovery of a troubling safety report on the collision-prone Red Hill Valley Parkway that had somehow been hidden for five years.