ACTUALITÉ / NEWS
Full $5 million promised again
April shower of money for highways study
gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca Orléans
“The widening of the 174 will significantly reduce commute times for our residents,” Blais said. Liberal MPPs for the two ridings, Grant Crack and Phil McNeely, both emphasized that the EA will both address traffic safety concerns for area residents and also serve as a guide for future transport improvement projects for the Ottawa-Orléans area. “So the right decision can be made for the future widening of the highway,” said Crack, “to make commuting safer and easier.” “This (EA) will enable the community to study all the options available,” said McNeely, adding that future light-rapid transit systems for the Ottawa region will receive due attention during the EA’s two- year consultation period. During his announcement, Chiarelli gave credit to Jean-Marc Lalonde, former MPP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, “for the trailblazing he has done”. The minister noted that Lalonde had promoted and lobbied for expansion and upgrading of the highway link between Orléans and Rockland during all the years that he sat in the legislature. Chiarelli also noted that the April 10 announcement on EA funding for the 174- 17 expansion project is the latest portion of a $620-million investment from the pro- vincial government in highway improvements projects around the Greater Ottawa Area. That upgrades to several portions of Highway 417 and Highway 7 west of the city and translates into 10,000 present and future jobs.
Drizzling rain dripped Tuesday morning down off the small awning set up at the Park-n-Ride in Orléans at the intersection of Highway 174 and Trim Road. Huddled underneath, local politicians cheered and clapped as Highways Minister Bob Chiarelli confirmed another $1 million for an environmental study on widening the highway connection between Orléans and Rockland to four-lane status. “That will be a tremendous improvement for the people of this area,” Chiarelli said. “Looking at what this opens up is a whole bunch of sunshine as far as Prescott- Russell is concerned,” said François St-Amour, warden for the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR). Several years ago, both the provincial and federal governments committed $40 million each towards the future costs of improving the Highway 174-County Road 17 route between Orléans and Rockland. At that time the province was also prepared to provide $5 million for the environmental assessment (EA) required before construction could begin but, because the City of Ottawa at that time refused to be involved in management of the study, that funding aid offer was withdrawn and the future of the proposed four-lane expansion of the route sat in limbo. The provincial later signed an agree- ment with the UCPR to provide $4 million
Photo Gregg Chamberlain Ontario Highway Minister Bob Chiarelli joked that it always seemd to be raining whenever he arrived in the Ottawa-Orléans area for a visit. But the mayors and other representatives for Ottawa and municipalities in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell and the two area MPPs didn't mind since the highways minister brought good news with him about the 174-17 expansion project.
possibility for upgrading that portion of Highway 174 to six-lane status. Cumberland Ward Coun. Stephen Blais noted that 60 per cent of residents in Or- léans work in downtown Ottawa and many of them have to use OC Transpo to make sure they get to work on time and avoid traffic congestion on the highway.
for the EA under the direction of the counties. The additional $1 million announced for the EA means the City of Ottawa will now also take part in managing the study, which will expand to look at the existing four-lane section of Highway 174 up to The Split connection with Highway 417. The expanded study will examine the
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