Dawson road report expected this summer

City council is getting a report back this summer on an issue one councillor says is almost a decade in the making.

Coun. Trevor Giertuga said the city has been trying to figure out how to deal with heavy trucks on Dawson Road since the province downloaded the road from County Fair to Dog Lake Road nine years ago. Although the city was given $3 million from the province, the road has since cost the city more than $6 million in maintenance.

While the new Shabaqua extension was supposed to lighten the load, some councilors, like Coun. Rebecca Johnson, said trucks are still using Dawson Road and the extension has been a "road to nowhere.”

"That hasn’t stopped the transports from taking that route," Giertuga said. "They’re still speeding through there."

Giertuga said the road is becoming a safety issue with speeding trucks and pedestrians and a school close by. The report will look at options such as weight restrictions, tolls or speed reductions to see how the city can get trucks off of that stretch of road.

Mayor Keith Hobbs said while he wants police and other emergency services numbers in the report.

"We have all sorts of potential for catastrophe," Hobbs said.

Coun. Larry Hebert said he also wants Kakabeka Falls involved in the report as that community would likely see an increase in truck traffic if the city did put restrictions on Dawson Road.

A McIntyre Ward meeting will take place Apr. 26. Administration will be present to address concerns.

The report is expected in late June or early July.