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Dutrisac, Montpellier press for four-laning of MR 35

Project would cost more than $30M; $6M of work already planned this year
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City councillors representing the Chelmsford and Azilda areas of the city continued to press this week for a commitment to four lane the entire stretch of road leading into the area. Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier and Ward 4 Coun. Evelyn Dutrisac raised the issue of Municipal Road 35 at Tuesday's council meeting. File photo.
City councillors representing the Chelmsford and Azilda areas of the city continued to press this week for a commitment to four-lane the entire stretch of road leading into the area. 
 
Ward 3 Coun. Gerry Montpellier and Ward 4 Coun. Evelyn Dutrisac raised the issue of Municipal Road 35 at Tuesday's council meeting.
 
This year, $6 million to $7 million will be spent reconstructing a section of MR 35. While it won't widen it to four lanes, culvert and other preparation work will be completed.
 
But there had been talk this year of debt financing to complete the four laning. Residents have been waiting for since amalgamation in 2000. It's an issue that goes back to the 1990s, when Bob Rae's NDP government decided to open gaming facilities as a way to boost revenue. 
 
Every other community in the former Region of Sudbury rejected the idea of hosting a facility – except for Rayside-Balfour, which allowed it to open at Sudbury Downs.
 
It became a significant source of revenue for the town, and when amalgamation took place, there was an implicit promise that four-laning the road using the slots revenue would be a priority.
 
Since then, the city has gained about $35 million in slots revenue, roughly what the four-laning would cost. At a debt-financing meeting in March, Mayor Brian Bigger said there may be federal or provincial infrastructure money available for the new project. 
 
"MR 35 has elements of new (infrastructure) with new lanes, so staff's advice on that was that there's an opportunity to have partial government funding, partial contributions from reserves and partial debt financing," Bigger said.
 
But Dutrisac said Tuesday she's been hearing that the four laning won't happen. She said some residents calling staff to inquire have been told the project is not happening.
 
“I'm quite upset, because I've heard rumours that we're not doing the four-laning of 35 and I've never heard this around the table,” she said. 
 
“Decisions about roads are made at the council table. The impression that I have is that there's support around the table for MR 35. We've been waiting many years. I know we're looking at debt funding, and that decision will be made at the table here.”
 
Tony Cecutti, the city's infrastructure GM, said work will be done on the roadway this summer, but until there's a way to fund the entire project, there's not much staff can do.
 
“We do have one active project, in the neighbourhood of $6 million to $7 million,” Cecutti said. “We will continue to do that. But there is no approved money to do the balance of MR 35.”
 
It's one of several projects on the unfunded list, he said, and they are looking for ways to accelerate the timeline.
 
“Certainly staff are pursuing every avenue for funding that we can,” Cecutti said. 
 
“Unfortunately, it still remains on the unfunded list. We can't work on the balance of the project until it gets funding.”
 
A report on the list of all unfunded projects that could be eligible for infrastructure money will be ready by June, Cecutti added. But Montpellier said that would be too late.
 
“Just the other day I received a report that $35 million has been donated to the city” from the Slots, he said.
 
“We've been waiting a lot time. June is construction season in the city. So is it possible we could get a quicker turnaround on it, so we can look for a 'yes' or 'no' type of answer?”
 
Cecutti said they would try to accelerate the report and get it done as quickly as possible. “We're happy to work with you in any way we can to change the status of that project.”

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Darren MacDonald

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