Dennis O'Keefe wants Mount Pearl to split costs of Team Gushue Highway

The mayor of St. John's is renewing his call for the city of Mount Pearl to share the cost of maintaining the Team Gushue Highway.

The federal and provincial governments are splitting the $45-million construction cost, but only agreed to do so if a municipality promised to take ownership once it was completed.

Dennis O'Keefe previously asked Mount Pearl to help, but received a flat-out refusal. Now, he said he hopes the city is reconsidering.

"We did agree to take it over. Otherwise, it never would have been built, and I think now, given the fact that we're talking about regional co-operation, it would be really nice for the city of Mount Pearl to partner with us in cost-sharing the maintenance and snow-clearing of that highway," he said.

O'Keefe said there's no doubt in his mind who should be paying to maintain the highway.

"All of those who derive a benefit from it... and the major beneficiaries of it are the cities of St. John's and Mount Pearl," he said.

O'Keefe previously suggested that toll booths might be necessary to cover the maintenance of the new highway, but the province said that's not a option.

"There won't be a toll. We won't support a toll at all," said Transportation and Works Minister Nick McGrath.

The seven-kilometre stretch of highway will cut through St. John's, from the Outer Ring Road to the Goulds Bypass Road.

The Team Gushue Highway was supposed to be finished this year, but now it won't be completed until the spring or summer of 2015.