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Highway 69 Expansion: Britt Residents Demand Progress
5 Jun
Summary
- Ont. Ministry of Transportation seeks feedback on Highway 69 four-laning project.
- Residents express frustration over slow progress and safety concerns.
- Emergency responders worry about response times with interchange changes.
A public information session was held in Britt, Ontario, where the Ministry of Transportation presented updated design plans for a 20-kilometre section of Highway 69. The project aims to four-lane the highway south of Sudbury, addressing updated design standards and environmental reviews since the initial assessment in 2008. The ministry is considering a higher speed limit of 110 km/h and reconfiguring the Bekanon Road interchange to accommodate future rail crossings.
Despite the update, attendees expressed significant frustration with the project's slow progression, which has been ongoing since the early 2000s. Numerous fatal collisions have occurred on the remaining two-lane sections. Emergency services, particularly the Britt and Area Fire Department, highlighted concerns that proposed interchange changes could add substantial delays to their response times, potentially impacting critical rescue efforts on the highway.
