A woman in Kentville who has spent the last three years trying to get potholes fixed on a road outside her workplace says time has been wasted between town and provincial officials about who should foot the bill for repairs.

On Tuesday, Heather Kroezen learned the potholes will be fixed this month. But for years she says there has been confusion over whose jurisdiction Mee Road falls under: the Town of Kentville or the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation.

Mee Road is located in northeastern Kentville. Between Belcher Street and Elizabeth Drive, the road draws the township's boundary. NSCC's Kingstec Campus is located across the road from the North End Market, which both create traffic in the area.

Kroezen, who works at the North End Market, says there are properties located on the town's side of the boundary and must deal with the potholes. Crews haven't tended to the road in a year and a half, she says, because Kentville officials say it's not their problem.

"Every year we have to place call after call," Kroezen explained.

"We pay Kentville town taxes and we have been told that up to the yellow line, [the road] is covered by council. … If you watch the traffic go by, you can't drive on that side of the road. It's damaging peoples' cars."

As of July 2015, Kroezen said she's measured the potholes as being six inches deep in several places.

Spinning tires

Despite what Kroezen was told about the boundary being defined by the road's yellow lines, Kentville's Mayor David Corkum and Director of Engineering & Works Fred Whynot both emphasize it's the province's job to maintain the entire road.

A map from the Town of Kentville's website shows boundaries on the outside of Mee Road - not spliting the road down the middle. (Town of Kentville)

Kroezen says the only person who's been able to facilitate action in the past was former Kings North MLA Jim Morton, who was succeeded by John Lohr in 2013.

Mayor Corkum explains while some local residents and businesses are located along Mee Road within the town's boundary, the road itself "has nothing to do with the town of Kentville."

"We certainly sympathize with those citizens up there because I know it can be frustrating," Corkum said.

"If you're on the one side of the road paying town taxes on a road that isn't getting fixed — it's kind of an awkward situation."

Earlier this year, Whynot wrote a letter to the Department of Transportation about Mee Road's potholes after fielding complaints from residents.

"Again, reminding [the department] that this road is outside the town boundaries, but as we have residents within there that have frontage on that street, we request that they attend the necessary maintenance," he said.

Despite the road's current conditions, Whynot said he believed repairs had already been completed in 2015.

Repair work now scheduled

On Tuesday, provincial spokesperson Brian Taylor said he acknowledged that the road is a department of transportation responsibility.

"Mee Road is a provincial road and the area office is aware of its condition," Taylor said.

A provincial spokesperson says Mee Road is on the spring and summer repair schedule, and that crews be there by the end of July. (Submitted by Heather Kroezen)

"Every spring, the area managers and the district as a whole do their spring and summer maintenance schedules.… So we expect crews will be out there within the month to have it repaired."

When asked if the Department of Transportation was aware of the confusion between local residents, provincial and town officials, Taylor said roads get prioritized and are placed on the schedule as crews and resources move around.

"We appreciate that residents want their road done as quickly as possible, and that's what crews endeavour to do."

While Kroezen said she was excited to hear repairs were now arranged for July, she says the yearly back and forth about jurisdiction is another problem that will need to be addressed before next spring.