Nearly 20 years later, Highway 69 plans return to public review

People packed a public information session in Britt, Ont., about an hour south of Sudbury, on Wednesday as Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation sought feedback on updated plans for a 20-kilometre section of the Highway 69 four-laning project. The session focused on design updates for a proposed four-lane section stretching south from the existing four-laned highway near Sudbury toward Britt, as well as proposed changes to the planned Bekanon Road interchange. “The previous environmental assessment for the project was completed in 2008. Since then, updates to design standards and changes to the environment necessitate a review under the Environmental Assessment Act,” said Giuseppe Delfino, who works in the project delivery section of the Ministry of Transportation’s North Bay office. “The purpose of the public information session tonight is to seek input on the updated design and potential impacts.” Man stands in front of poster. Giuseppe Delfino works in the project delivery section of the Ministry of Transportation’s North Bay office. (Faith Greco/CBC) The current review is looking at whether the future highway could support a speed limit of 110 km/h, up from the 100 km/h design considered in the earlier study, and ensuring the Bekanon Road interchange could be reconfigured in the future to include an overpass or underpass over the nearby CPKC railway. Delfino said the interchange design studied in 2008 would require vehicles to cross the railway tracks. The ministry is now reviewing alternatives that would leave room for an overpass or underpass in the future if rail traffic increases. “We recognize that in the future that could be problematic and we’re trying to come up with a solution now,” Delfino said. 'We have to use it, we have no choice' While attendees welcomed the update, many expressed frustration over the pace of the project and ongoing safety concerns along the two lane stretch. Roughly 68 kilometres of Highway 69 between Sudbury and the Parry Sound area remain undivided, despite commitments dating back to the early 2000s to divide it and expand it to four lanes following a series of deadly collisions. Older woman with green shirt stands in front of a poster board and smiles. Barbara Wohleber lives in Britt, Ont., and says she's frustrated with the delayed four-laning project. (Faith Greco/CBC) Barbara Wohleber, who lives in Britt, said the community has been waiting years to see progress. “We all wonder why 18 years and it’s still not done,” she said. "We've all been aware of the many accidents that happen on this two lane stretch and choose our driving days very carefully because of that. But we have to use it, we have no choice." Carole Laframboise, another Britt resident, said fatal collisions have become an all-too-common occurrence. "I'm sick and tired of what has been going on with the lack of progress with this highway. It seems in the summer, every couple weeks the highway's closed. Somebody else's dead," she said. Younger women with cardigan and pink shirt stands in front of poster board. Lisa Aho drove an hour from Sudbury in order to attend the session. (Faith Greco/CBC) Lisa Aho travelled from Sudbury to attend the session. She was there because her son's friend lost both parents in a fatal collision on the two lane-stretch in April. Family of Sudbury couple killed in latest Highway 69 crash urges Ontario to honour expansion promise Grief over Highway 69 deaths fuels calls for expansion at Sudbury town hall “I’m happy that there’s at least some sort of update, some progress, but there needs to be much more,” Aho said. "I'm terrified when I drive on this road. As soon as we pass French River, I'm like white-knuckling it. I drive my family crazy, to be quite honest, because I'm so scared driving it." For emergency responders, access to the highway remains a major concern. "When they put the new highway in, there will no longer be an access to Britt. We would have to go north to Beckon Road or south to Magnetawan Road, which is where a lot of time is going to be lost when we're trying to get on that highway," said Britt and Area Fire Chief Dave Marlin. He said the proposed interchange changes could significantly affect response times for crews responding to collisions. "We're heavy rescue. We're the only ones out there and where they've proposed these interchanges could add 40 minutes to an hour to our our response time. And a lot of calls we get, they're not great on directions anyway, so we lose some time searching the highway as it is," he said. Man in blue shirt stands in front of poster boards. Dave Marlin is the Britt and Area fire chief. (Faith Greco/CBC) Marlin said Britt firefighters responded to more than 40 serious motor vehicle collisions on their section of Highway 69 last year. “It’s not for the faint of heart,” he said of attending crash scenes. The ministry’s review remains in the preliminary design stage. Delfino said the next steps include completing design and environmental assessment updates before another public review process.