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Highway work to start in fall

The most eagerly anticipated highway project in the history of northeastern Ontario will officially get underway this fall.
The most eagerly anticipated highway project in the history of northeastern Ontario will officially get underway this fall.

Pending the approval of property acquisition, members of city council?s priorities committee were told last Wednesday evening construction will begin this fall to four-lane Highway 69 between Sudbury and Estaire.

John Fraser, senior project engineer for the Ministry of Transportation, told the committee this particular project isn?t part of the Tory government?s commitment to four-lane Hwy. 69 between Sudbury and Parry Sound.

This particular piece of roadway was approved by the province dating back four years to when an environmental assessment began in 1999, said Fraser.

The approved route and environmental assessment of the 20 kilometre stretch of highway was approved last fall and a revised alignment from Highway 537 near Wanup to existing four lanes, including an additional interchange, are now complete and the project is ready to go, said Fraser.

The entire stretch to be constructed will be on a new alignment, meaning none of the current highway between Sudbury and Estaire will be affected once construction begins.

The $110-million project will include the building of three interchanges?one near Wanup, a second near Estaire and the third on the outskirts of Sudbury city limits?and will include two graded and separated snowmobile crossing areas, said Fraser.

Detailed engineering and property acquisition work is underway for the full 20-kilometre stretch of road and a number of construction contracts are being prepared, he said.

Construction will start on the northern section of the project this fall, subject to property acquisition, he said.

The public has a right to demand answers to questions and oppose land acquisition, but he doesn?t expect the commencement of construction to be delayed beyond this fall, he said.

Construction will be completed in a series of contracts as property is acquired and engineering is completed and construction will continue until the entire 20 kilometres is four-laned, he said.

?Keith Lacey


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