Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger said Thursday he hasn't yet discussed the future of four-laning of Highway 69 with the provincial government.
As first reported by Sudbury.com, spending on the project is frozen while the Progressive Conservative government conducts a “line-by-line” review of infrastructure spending commitments made by the previous Liberal government.
Long a priority for the City of Greater Sudbury, work has gone on for decades four-laning the road connecting Sudbury and Toronto. About $850 million has been spent since 2003, expanding 132 kilometres of the roadway.
Once work is completed on a 14-kilometre section between Alban (south of Sudbury) and the CN Rail line at Highway 22, there will be 68 kilometres to complete, at an estimated cost of $200 million.
The previous Wynne government had committed to completing the project by 2017, but said delays in land acquisition, environmental reviews, and agreements with First Nations pushed the deadline back to 2020.
Bigger said he's met with several cabinet ministers and representatives from other ministries in the new Doug Ford government.
"What I've heard from them is they are looking for ways and I am looking for ways for the City of Greater Sudbury to work in collaboration with this new Conservative government,” he said. “I think there are good opportunities for us to continue to work together. I'm confident that when they see the opportunities, they will invest."
No discussions regarding Hwy. 69 have taken place yet, he said, but it's just a matter of timing.
"People in Sudbury and Northern Ontario are interested in having that move forward,” Bigger said. “So it will be part of our ongoing conversation."
