CAA certifies: I live on the fifth worst road in Atlantic Canada

The Canadian Automobile Association says so in a survey published today. The Kempt Head Road comes in at No. 5 (actually No. 6, since two roads tied for third).

Worst Road-550

Ironically, the gravel portion of the road is in pretty good shape after a couple of post-winter gradings. But the paved portion? Oh, the paved portion! It’s hard to depict in a photo, but this is pretty much how it looks from end to end:

Worst Paved Road- 550

For the curious, the Kempt Head Road begins at Exit 13W on the TransCanada Highway 105, near the Seal Island Bridge (officially the Great Bras d’Or Crossing). It runs southwest past the Calabash Rd., the Slabdash Rd. (officially but incorrectly “MacLean Rd.”), Church Cross, Steele’s Cross, and the Matheson Road, where the pavement ends. It continues around Kempt Head and back up “south side” of Boularderie (actually the southeastern shore) until it intersects with the other end of Steele’s Cross, where the pavement resumes.

It comes to an end at the notional southern terminus of the Slabdash (MacLean) Rd., which is really just an overgrown remnant at that point. From here, the Hillside Boularderie Road carries on to Bras d’Or, 20 km to the east. Total length of the Kempt Head Road itself: 40.8 km., of which about 24.5 km. is paved.

Kempt Head Road 550

Hat tips to SP and NS for alerting me to the survey, and to my neighbour Valerie Patterson, suspected of stuffing the ballot box.

Do not — repeat: DO NOT — send me photos of your supposedly much worse road. We won in a fair fight, and the fine people of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal are now honor- and duty-bound to renew our infrastructure. Preferably this summer. You can try again next year, and see if your wimpy road wins the 2014 CAA survey.

And please let me and Valerie know when the CAA takes nominations for the most beautiful road in Atlantic Canada.