The Mayor of Dryden isn’t giving up his crusade to twin more parts of the Trans-Canada Highway in northwestern Ontario.
Greg Wilson brought up the subject with officials from the Ministry of Transportation this week.
Wilson says, “We missed the boat, as a province 50 years ago, to do a joint federal-provincial inter-provincial implementation of twinning all the way across Canada. In Ontario that stretch between Dryden and Kenora in particular but also including Dryden to Thunder Bay, it’s one of the worst stretches on the Trans-Canada.”
He notes there are sections in B.C. that may be worse but notes the government has and continues to invest a lot of money in their highway infrastructure program.
Wilson says the Dryden area has been plagued by numerous and lengthy highway closures this year.
He adds, “I’ve talked with Minister Mulroney (Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney) for example. I basically heard that there were no plans to look at twinning that stretch (Dryden to Kenora) and it took so long to get just what we got west of Kenora started.”
MTO spokesperson Jamie Taylor addressed Wilson’s plea for action noting communities carry a strong voice.
Taylor says, “I would recommend that you keep pressing that issue. I believe there is some pre-planning that has been completed but it comes down to budget. That’s really the driving force.”
Taylor recommends using groups like the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association to advocate for priority projects for the region.
