Politicians urge Ford government to complete four-lane expansion of remaining 68 kilometres of north-south route
As the province upgrades Highway 3 in St. Thomas to four lanes, Greater Sudbury’s two NDP MPPs are raising concerns about the last 68 kilometres of Highway 69.
“We can’t emphasize enough how vital it is to finish this crucial corridor,” Jamie West (Sudbury) and France Gélinas (Nickel Belt) mentioned in their latest open letter to Transportation Minister Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria. “Your government knows well that livelihoods and lives depend on it.”
Their letter references the province’s July 28 announcement regarding Highway 3, which states that the project is “marking another milestone in its plan to protect Ontario by improving road safety and good-paying jobs.”
“Does this mean that Northern Ontario will also see real steps taken to twin/four-lane the remaining 68 km of Highway 69? This is a promise your government has made for nearly ten years.”
The open letter also mentions that the Ministry of Transportation informed CTV News that “the remaining 68 kilometres are moving through engineering, approvals and consultation right now.”
“These vague comments provide little comfort to our constituents and those traveling Highway 69 who need assurance that meaningful progress is being made on this project.”
In this regard, provincial officials have consistently avoided answering basic questions about Highway 69, including inquiries submitted by Sudbury. com, Greater Sudbury’s MPPs, and a local resident who filed freedom of information requests.
Earlier this month, Sudbury. com asked Parry Sound-Muskoka Progressive Conservative MPP and Municipal Affairs and Housing Associate Minister Graydon Smith about Highway 69 while he was in Sudbury for an unrelated media event. He stated that four-laning the highway remains a “priority,” but there’s no specific timeline from the province at this time.
Last week, West and Gélinas kicked off their “Four Lanes, Zero Excuses” campaign aimed at pushing for the completion of four-laning Highway 69. They’ve launched a website at jamiewestmpp. ca/4lane69 to support their efforts with billboards, lawn signs, buttons, vehicle stickers, and a petition.
This campaign adds to a series of initiatives by the MPPs over recent years which have included advocacy in Queen’s Park, open letters, and a community event earlier this year following tragic accidents on the two-lane section of Highway 69.
Suketu Patel, a friend of Sudburians Vinod and Shilpa Patel who tragically died on the two-lane part of Highway 69 on April 7, has also set up his own advocacy site at savelivesonhw69. com. The site features a petition that had gathered over 10,328 verified signatures as of July 30. The petition linked with West/Gélinas’ campaign website started just last week but already amassed around 640 signatures.
Given the unclear nature of recent statements from the province about Highway 69 issues, West and Gélinas’ latest open letter seeks clarification on several points:
Have engineers or consultants been assigned to this project? If so, who are they and what’s their timeline?
Is all engineering work being done internally at MTO or contracted out?
Could you share contact details with our offices so we can communicate directly with these parties?
Even though past reluctance from the Ministry of Transportation suggests these questions may not be answered satisfactorily anytime soon, Sudbury. com will closely monitor developments regarding these inquiries.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury. com.
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