January 18, 2012Town to protest highway conditionsby Denise WalkerMany residents were upset with road conditions on Highway 17 over the holiday season. While no one can control the weather, there was a marked difference in the quality of the snow clearing done through Laurentian Hills and Deep River, compared to the clearing achieved after the changeover in operators at the Petawawa plains. At last week’s public works committee meeting in Laurentian Hills, chairman Bruce Boucher confirmed those bad conditions were not a figment of the imagination. Boucher and Mayor Dick Rabishaw want to lay the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). “Don’t blame the operators,” said Boucher. According to Boucher, the highway is classified as a Class 1 road until the turnaround on the Petawawa plains, after which it becomes a Class 2 road. Boucher added that there were different standards for Class 1 and Class 2 roads set by MTO. “The ministry says we don’t have enough traffic to be a Class 1,” he told the committee. Mayor Dick Rabishaw weighed in, saying “It’s not the fault of the operators.” “They are very frustrated that the standard doesn’t allow them to use bigger equipment needed to do the job. It’s up to us to push the MTO to change the classification.” Deputy Mayor Anne Giardini urged the committee to reach out to Deep River and Head, Clara and Maria. “If all of the municipalities come up with a joint approach, we might have more clout,” she said. |
>> Back to homepage