The province is working to speed up highway construction, such as twinning Highway 11-17 across northwestern Ontario to Manitoba.
Associate Transport Minister Kinga Surma tells us they are working on a new hearing process designed to be quicker, different from the current system, all meant to hear from people with an interest in any particular project.
“We certainly believe landowners have a right to express their voice and concerns, and have a review take place. But we can’t have this process slow down projects,” says the government minister.
Environmental assessments will become more efficient to get work underway quicker. She adds under the previous Liberal government the average time for these assessments was six to eight years. “Minister Yurek really made changes to the Environmental Assessment process, to really try and cut that time frame down, so that we can do the environmental work, but also get building as soon as possible.”
The government adds COVID-19 did slow construction down, but they are working to get back on track, including making all of the TransCanada two lanes in either direction, with a median in the middle.
