Residents of River Road are frustrated with extensive construction work being done on their street, which they say won't make any big improvements.

The District of Maple Ridge is putting in a new storm drainage system to ensure the bank down to the river doesn't erode.

However, the residents were hoping that traffic calming measures would be part of those improvements.

"I think it's been a big waste of money," said Joanne Anderson, who lives on River Road.

Anderson said she doesn't believe the system that's being put in place, which will collect water from roofs and the road, deal with an underground water problems.

Traffic calming measures they'd like to see include a 40 km/h speed limit, a speed circle, and traffic humps.

River Road is used often as an alternate route to Lougheed Highway, and cars often go along it at high speeds, Anderson said.

The residents are also upset that they will have to pay to hook up their properties to the storm sewer system. A bylaw is being planned requiring residents to be hooked up within one and a half years.

According to Fred Armstrong, communications manager for the District, the storm sewers were installed along River Road after a slide on an unstable bank took place a few years ago. There was no storm sewer system and the runoff from gutters was going straight into the hill. River Road homes are on a similar bank and the concern is that it too would become unstable.

mrantanen@mrtimes.com