Rice says Bell’s Commonwealth delays not acceptable

By Tyler Waugh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The further delay of an ongoing lane closure on Commonwealth Avenue has drawn the ire of Mount Pearl councillor Mark Rice.

An estimated 140-metre stretch of the southbound curb side lane of Commonwealth between the Whiteley Drive intersections has been closed since late November 2025 to accommodate work being done by Bell.

Rice spoke at the March 10 council meeting about the ongoing closure and advised as an information item that Bell had notified the City of an additional delay that he feels is unacceptable.

"I've had my calls from residents wondering what's going on, and I am sure other councillors have had calls as well," Rice said.

The work on underground equipment below the road was completed and the road surface restored, but before the lane could be reopened the City required a professional engineer to review and sign off on the repair.

“That engineer determined that the repair was not adequate,” said Kerri Hodder, the communications and marketing officer for Mount Pearl, in a written response to follow up questions from The Pearl News.

Hodder said Bell had obtained the required excavation permit before beginning work. She said Bell’s consultant will have a new design completed by the end of this month and the contractor plans to complete the repair work by mid-May.

“However, the City has requested that this timeline be accelerated,” Hodder said.

Rice believes the delay is unacceptable, adding the closure through the winter has created traffic congestion, complications for City snow clearing services and damage to City resources.

“That is one of our major thoroughfares in Mount Pearl and having it narrow to one lane is not ideal, especially during times with high traffic volume,” he said.

Hodder said the lane closure significantly affected the City's snow clearing operations this winter. Because crews could not widen Commonwealth Avenue in that area, snow accumulated along the closed inside lane and remained there for the entire season.

“Under normal conditions, crews push snow from the road over toward the sidewalk, and then a loader comes afterward to clear the sidewalks. But with that lane closed, that process wasn't possible. Instead, staff had to run the sidewalk blower inside the cordoned area to clear the sidewalk safely. This added time and operational challenges to each storm response,” Hodder said.

Hodder added that signage at the site was damaged several times by high winds and snow and that public works staff had to monitor the area frequently. The signage was replaced several times.

Hodder said the delays occurred due to poor weather conditions affecting field inspections, Bell's internal review timelines, and the need to engage a structural engineer. The City is not pursuing any actions or recourse against Bell related to the delays.