Lengthy highway closures concerning to regional politicians

A recent closure that shut down Highway 17 for the better part of two days because of weather safety concerns has left more questions than answers for some regional mayors.

Marathon Mayor Rick Dumas questioned the province’s ability to handle winter highway maintenance, calling the closure unacceptable.

“Under the minimum standards, 16 hours after the storm the highway is supposed to be bare,” Dumas told MPP Bill Mauro Friday in a brief question-and-answer session at the Thunder Bay District Municipal League’s semi-annual meeting at a north-side hotel.

Dumas expressed concern that the province’s proposed Bill 15 would leave communities like his in an even more precarious position if passed.

Under the legislation tow-truck drivers would be regulated like transport drivers and limited to just 13-hour work days.

Dumas said Marathon only has a single tow-truck driver, who was on duty for about 30 hours last week trying to help clear the highway for reopening.

“If he’s not there, who’s going to be there?” Dumas said. “We only have one operator.”

Newly elected Thunder Bay Coun. Frank Pullia said two-day closures cannot continue to happen.

“It has a great impact on transportation. Goods are transported across the country and that’s just one of many issues,” Pullia said.

Mauro, who said he wasn’t aware of the implications of Bill 15, said his government acknowledges the importance of keeping highway closures to a minimum, especially in Northwestern Ontario where two-lane routes are the norm.

But it’s also a health and safety issue, he said.

“It’s a very big deal and we acknowledge that,” Mauro said. “We do have more equipment on the road this year. I think the number I’ve heard is 50 additional pieces of equipment to try to maintain it to a standard.

“If at the end of the day … is it a question about standards or is a question of contractor performance? You need to get the bottom of that,” Mauro said, recounting a similar experience he had earlier in his career, which was blamed on contractor performance.

“Absolutely we want to get to the root of the issue and do what we can to see that it’s minimized.”