Thank you, Mr. Chair. First of all, the road from Niven to the Explorer is safe, otherwise we probably wouldn't have it open. So the road is safe. We are doing a planning study, looking at what we are going to do to upgrade a couple of sections of that road. This is something that I have had conversations with just lately. We are working with the developer on his access to the new hotel that is across the highway from the Legislative Assembly. We are also in ongoing discussions with the city of Yellowknife. All of us are working together trying to come up with a plan of what we are going to do with this section of road moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Debates of June 23rd, 2016
This is page numbers 763-836 of the Hansard for the 18th Assembly, 2nd Session. The original version can be accessed on the Legislative Assembly's website or by contacting the Legislative Assembly Library. The word of the day was mr chair.
Topics
Consideration in the Committee of the Whole of Bills and Other Matters
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Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So to be clear, there is a plan coming forward on what maintenance, repairs, or upgrades are going to be taking place on this highway? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Will the plan, Mr. Chair, be consisting of taking in some degree of public consultation? I ask that because there are concerns raised by the public as it relates to that road. They want the opportunity to share their issues on what they might want to see as improvements on the road in order to be able to access it regularly for active transportation. Or will it simply be the intention of the department to just keep it a vehicular highway and not an active transportation thoroughfare as well? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Wally Schumann Hay River South
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have already had ongoing consultation and extensive discussions with Ecology North on the use of this road and with the city about the uses of it. Anyone that wants to come talk to us about their concerns about this section of highway, we would gladly sit down and discuss that with them as well. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Interpreting that, I have heard the Minister say that the public's comments will be inclusive of the plan. Is that correct? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Further to active transportation, Mr. Chair, there is a portion of Highway No. 3 near the turnoff to Highway No. 4, commonly referred to as the airport loop, that the shoulder was lessened when the extra lane was put in to make the turnoff onto Ingraham Trail (Highway No. 4.) Does the department have a plan to bring the common width of the shoulder back on that section of the road again for the purposes of safety of people using it for active transportation? Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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Wally Schumann Hay River South
Thank you, Mr. Chair. We have no immediate plans to widen that section there. We will continue to monitor it and have discussions with whoever need be with concerns moving forward. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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June 23rd, 2016
Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That is appreciated. I would appreciate that they do monitor it. It used to be that you could use either side of the road to walk, run, or ride up. Now, clearly, everyone has to use just the one side. When you have moving vehicles and potentially people coming from either direction on that one section -- it is not a very long section, so it is not as though we are asking for a whole lot here. I know that it would take extensive work. But I appreciate the efforts that the department is making in monitoring it, and I will work with them in the future to see if we can make sure that that is put into the budget for public safety.
Lastly, Mr. Chair, relative to Ingraham Trail, a couple of things. How does the department determine when a section of road gets whatever level of attention in terms of repair? That road, obviously because of the high traffic that it is used for, especially during winter haul, gets a lot of damage to it. Right now, after winter haul is done, the road is left with numerous potholes, missing shoulders, missing painted lines, missing entire sections of road. How does the department determine how to prioritize maintenance to a road that is in such disrepair? Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Neudorf
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Highways are in continual need of repair, and so we have highway crews that do that and they're funded to do that. I would note that, you know, Highway No. 3, that crew based in Yellowknife does the chipseal repairs on both Highway No. 3, between Behchoko and Yellowknife, and Highway No. 4. So they will be aware of the condition of the roadway and then come up with their work plan accordingly to deal with the issues. I note that, at the present time, they are working on Highway No. 4, about the Prelude Lake area, and they're working their way back into Yellowknife to deal with some of the chipseal distress areas. As they come back, then the users will notice an improvement to the surface of the road. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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Cory Vanthuyne Yellowknife North
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Does that mean that the department is -- and I know that they have to have some degree of doing this, but I mean, in the interests of public safety, there has to be a way in which to measure when O and M costs start to exceed the cost of replacing a section of road. You know, that's, right now, the concerns that are raised with me by residents living on the Ingraham Trail, is that the road is clearly unsafe in sections of that road. You know, is there a way in which the department is evaluating that and deeming whether a section of road should be replaced or not? Thank you, Mr. Chair.