Hamilton’s former manager of engineering testifies at the Red Hill Valley Parkway inquiry

The city of Hamilton’s former manager of engineering, Gary Moore testified at the Red Hill Valley Parkway inquiry on Monday.

Moore is one of the people being accused of not sharing a 2013 friction report that revealed the surface of the Red Hill was slippery.

The inquiry commission council asked Moore about asphalt mixes used on other roads in Hamilton, like the Lincoln Alexander Parkway and Burlington Street.

The inquiry comes after a friction test report that revealed the parkway’s surface was below certain safety guidelines came to light in 2019, despite it being conducted in 2013.

There have been four fatalities and hundreds of crashes on the parkway while the report was buried. Moore is accused of knowing about the report.

The 100 and 90 kilometre speed was decided by the topography of the roadway aka the arrangement of the natural and physical features of the area, where ramps and curves are in relation to the road. Moore said the city’s consultants decided on the speed.

When the bombshell news about the buried report was revealed, the speed limit was immediately changed by the city to 80 kilometres an hour in some parts.

A feasibility study conducted by a consulting firm, Golder revealed the perpetual pavement would be less expensive than others because of its durability. There were larger capital costs, but long-term savings in regards to not having to repave it as much and having to constantly deal with the inconvenience of detours.

Moore said, “the perpetual pavement gave us all the benefits we wanted and it was cheaper,” so he agreed to go with it.

Earlier in the inquiry, it was revealed that Golder brought up concerns to the ministry of transportation about early age friction on this specific type of pavement.

The city claims they did not know of this conversation.