Province to improve snow clearing standard in northern Ontario for highways 11 and 17

The province says it will improve its standard for clearing snow from two major northern Ontario highways.

In a news release, Ontario's Ministry of Transportation said highways 17 and 11 will need to be fully cleared 12 hours after a winter storm, which is four hours faster than the previous standard.

"Our government is the first to create a new highway level of service that will ensure highways 11 and 17 are cleared faster, while improving road safety for drivers in the north," said Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, in a news release.

The new standard followed a technical review of winter maintenance for both highways and analysis from a winter maintenance pilot program, which covered the past two winter seasons for both highways.

Highway 17 connects Kenora, in northwestern Ontario to Renfrew, in the Ottawa Valley. Highway 11 starts in Barrie and heads north to Matheson, in northern Ontario, before turning west past Thunder Bay, to Rainy River, Ont.

In addition to a faster snow clearing standard for both highways, the province will also improve winter highway maintenance with more underbody plows, which are better at removing snowpack, and increased use of anti-icing liquids before snowstorms.

The province also said it was moving ahead with the first ever 2+1 highway pilot in North America. It is proposed for a portion of Highway 11 near Temiskaming Shores.

A 2+1 highway is a three-lane highway with a centre passing lane that changes direction around every two to five kilometres. Jurisdictions around the world use the model.

Mark Andrews, a retired Ontario Provincial Police traffic inspector and road safety consultant, said the 2+1 approach is a cost effective way to make highways safer.

"It's proven in Europe it's been studied," Andrews said.

Andrews said he was happy with the announced improvements for the snow clearing standard, and said news northern Ontario would get 14 new weather information stations was also welcome.

I give credit where credit's due.- John Vanthof, Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP

The weather stations will provide more accurate forecasts before storms hit the region, Andrews said.

"If they can do all of this and do it effectively and quickly, and there's substance to what they promised, I will be pretty happy," Andrews said.

Timiskaming-Cochrane MPP John Vanthof said the NDP has lobbied to improve the standards for years, and is glad to see the changes.

This is a step forward," he said. "I give credit where credit's due."

Vanthof said while the improved standard is important, contractors will need sufficient funding to meet it.

"Changing the classification will change the quality of the highway, but the contractors are going to have to be able to access more equipment, which they're going to need to be paid for," he said.

Still room for improvement

Nipigon Mayor Suzanne Kukko said she welcomed the news on the new standards for winter maintenance.

"Anytime the Ontario government improves the snow clearing standards, it's welcome news here in northwestern Ontario, particularly in Nipigon, one of the crossroads of Canada," Kukko said.

Highways 11 and 17 intersect at Nipigon.

But Kukko said there remains room for improvement around the  snow clearing standards.

"I'd like to see it maybe go down to eight hours to bare pavement," she said.   "That would be wonderful."

Rick Dumas, the mayor of Marathon, west of Thunder Bay, said he was happy with the news, but worries it could be a challenge to attract more snowplow drivers to meet the new standard.

"Mills and mines that pay a big dollar," he said. "They're gonna attract those individuals rather than working on the highway."

Dumas said he welcomed the news that 14 rest areas along both highways, and Highway 599, would be enhanced, but said more stops are needed.