West calls on the government to make Highway 69 a priority

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Ontario Construction News staff writer

Sudbury NDP MPP Jamie West is calling on the Ford government commit funding to the four-laning of Highway 69.

โ€œExpanding the highway is vital for safe and reliable access to Ontarioโ€™s North,โ€ West said during question period last week. โ€œThere are only 68 kilometres left to four-lane, but we still do not know when this project will be completed.โ€

It has been 14 years since the previous Liberal government promised they would complete the four-laning of Highway 69. The Liberals let Sudbury down, and now the Ford Conservatives are also delaying the project. West reminded Doug Ford that the Sudbury Chamber of Commerceโ€™s 2020 budget submission urged the government to provide the funding needed to start work on the next stage of the highway.

โ€œThe Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is calling on the government to expedite this project,โ€ said West. โ€œThe economic prosperity of our region depends on there being no further delays.โ€

Almost a year ago, West asked the Minister of Transportation when northerners could expect the four-laning of Highway 69 to be completed.

West expressed disappointment that despite the ministerโ€™s response at the time that there would be an update in 2019 budget, the budget did not include a single dollar, or any plan to get it done.

โ€œWill the premier continue to string people along โ€“ like the Liberals did for more than a decade โ€“ or will he commit to making Highway 69 a priority in the 2020 budget?โ€ he asked.

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