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Expressway express?

THUNDER BAY - Major changes to the Thunder Bay Expressway could happen one day and the Ministry of Transportation wants to be ready.
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An MTO public meeting on Tuesday will show potential Expressway upgrades, including new interchanges and divided roadway (Jamie Smith, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY - Major changes to the Thunder Bay Expressway could happen one day and the Ministry of Transportation wants to be ready.

A meeting next Tuesday at the Boys and Girls Club will show the public the very start of a plan to one day have a four-lane divided highway from Arthur Street to Balsam Street with interchanges along the way.

MTO senior project manager Rick Inman said the study will look at the need for the upgrade, along with everything from interchange options to property requirements and median width.

"At the end of the study what we want to do is identify a preferred plan," he said.

"There's a whole range of factors that go into it."

It's similar to a study conducted in the late 90s that was never finished. While this study will take a look at some of the previous research, Inman said times have changed. The 90s plan eliminated intersections at Oliver and John Streets but new development might have put increased traffic in those areas. Flyovers would probably still happen somewhere though.

"We sort of have to pick and choose where we want the intersections and where we're just going to have sort of a fly over," he said.

There's no construction timeline or funding commitment. The study is more about the future of the highway Inman said.

The public meeting will be from 4 to 8 p.m.

 





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