Highway plans worry residents

Shuniah residents are expressing concerns over the plans for the proposed four-laning of Highway 11/17 from Mackenzie to Birch Beach Road.

Last Wednesday, more than 40 people gathered at Shuniah’s municipal office and many weren’t pleased with the designs for the four-laning project, said Reeve Maria Harding.

"The people don’t feel that it is a well though out process," she said, stating many residents will be inconvenienced by rerouting and increased traffic to the beach roads.

Harding is also concerned that not everyone is being compensated equally for the land the Ministry of Transportation needs to acquire for the project.

"Offers are being made to people for certain amounts and other people who are as much impacted are being offered less money," she said. "It is not a process we understand."
Shuniah council wrote to the MTO asking the government agency to explain how the compensation process works to the township’s residents.

Harding said the council has no issue with the four-laning but they are concerned about what’s happening to their residents.

"Is there fair compensation? Is there thought given to our community?" she said. "Is there thought given to how we’re being inconvenienced by the changes?"

The 14-kilometre stretch of Hwy 11/17 to be four-laned will be constructed about half a kilometre north from the existing highway and is currently under design.

"We need to confirm environmental impacts and mitigation measures and we’re looking at consulting with external agencies such as municipalities and the public in general," said MTO senior project manager Rick Inman. "We’re hoping to have the design complete in the spring with construction dependent on securing the necessary environmental approvals."

There are about 90 property owners that will be affected by the construction and Inman said they have the majority of property agreements in place.

"For the other areas outstanding, we have initiated the expropriation process and are still actively discussing and negotiating with the owners at this time," he said.

Inman said after the design phase is approved, they’re looking at starting initial clearing work and some structural work at the Mackenzie River crossing this year. The project is expected to take three years to complete.

Inman was at the meeting last week and heard residents’ concerns, said Harding.

"I hope that Mr. Inman will bring this back to their supervisor to see if there can be changes made and the concerns of our residents being taken into consideration," she said. "It’s probably better to put a highway north of what we have now, but do we do this to the detriment of all the people who live there?"

The MTO is also working on a route selection study to find a corridor for future four-laning from Kakabeka to Shabaqua.

"We need to look at various route alternatives, select the route and protect it for future 11/17 needs," said Inman. "We’re in the initial stages … we’re looking at wrapping the study up probably in spring 2011."