Mahsi, Mr. Speaker. [Translation] My constituents have brought a safety issue to my concern, and I would like to raise it in the House today. It isn't the first time my constituents have raised it with me, nor is it the first time that I have addressed it here. [Translation ends]
Mr. Speaker, road safety is the problem. Deh Cho residents, particularly in Fort Providence, are worried by an increase in speeding semi trucks on the Deh Cho Bridge and surrounding highway.
When the Deh Cho Bridge opened in 2012, it introduced uninterrupted 24-hour traffic to Highway 3. At this time of the year, when the winter roads north of Yellowknife open up a temporary route to the diamond mines, traffic volume increases even more, reaching its annual peak.
This isn't just a Deh Cho issue. Commercial traffic can disrupt regular road use all down the road. Residents of the Ingraham Trail area will be familiar with the trials and tribulations, and even the hazards, of living along a busy trucking route.
When it comes to our highways, our laws are clear. Speed limits are clearly posted, including speed limits for the recently repaired Deh Cho bridge. There are no surprises there, Mr. Speaker. Yet my constituents tell me that commercial trucks are still flying down the highway, posing a danger to other road users and to themselves, especially close to the community of Fort Providence and the Big River service station.
These peak traffic volumes aren't a surprise, either. We know that, when winter traffic to the mines begins to ramp up, that means law enforcement, including both the RCMP and the GNWT motor vehicle officers, need to be prepared to get out on the highways and enforce our laws. The safety of our highway depends on it.
Later on I will have questions for the Minister of Infrastructure. Mahsi, Mr. Speaker.