Township council in Dorion hopes the Ministry of Transportation will agree to another design change for the four-laning of the Trans-Canada Highway through the community.
The MTO is finalizing plans for twinning a section of Highway 11-17 starting west of the Ouimet Canyon Road, for a distance of close to nine kilometres, to Dorion.
Township Reeve Ed Chambers said the MTO and its consultant have already agreed to "some fairly significant changes" relating to intersections, adding that the ministry has listened very well throughout the consultation process with Dorion.
"They've been very good," he said.
But Chambers added council remains concerned about the design of a proposed intersection at Poplar Lane, a road that crosses the CPR track.
"There is a corner, as you look west (and) you can see the visibility is not the greatest."
He said the MTO has already indicated it will make some improvements there but council would prefer the intersection be relocated about half a kilometre east "where it will be very easy to see in both directions."
"That'll make it a lot safer for our maintenance vehicles, snowplows, graders," Chambers said.
He added that the design change will also make it a little more comfortable "for developers who may wish, down the road, to develop the area down toward Lake Superior."
Chambers noted that council is looking ahead to the future. The reeve said he understands the province has concerns about costs and other factors, "but we're determined to make this change."
He also indicated that Dorion council will be sending letters about the matter to the MTO, its consultant and to area MPPs.
The project is still at least two years away from starting.
An MTO spokesperson has said the government will need to acquire some additional property in the Dorion area because of changes made to the design since the original highway study done in 1997.
He said the ministry is tentatively targeting 2018 for the start of construction, depending on approvals, property acquisition and utility relocation.
(With files from TBT News)
