Mahsi cho, Mr. Speaker. [English translation not provided].
Today I’d like to talk about the slow response by the Department of Transportation regarding issues raised by residents of Fort Resolution for repair and reconstruction of Highway No. 6.
Mr. Speaker, I first raised this issue last February by asking the former Minister of Transportation questions about repairs and future plans for Highway No. 6. The Minister committed to allocating $1 million of repair work to be carried out this summer. The condition in this section of highway is worse than when I first raised the issue last winter. We are talking about a serious safety issue here on this highway. I was listening to the Minister’s responses to questions raised by my colleagues from Nahendeh and Mackenzie Delta about their highways. A common denominator I heard in the Minister’s response was that the number one priority for the department was safety.
Mr. Speaker, if the department considers safety a top priority for all NWT highways, then this work on Highway No. 6 must be done quickly. I have driven this highway many times this summer and did not see any improvements being made. We are fortunate not to have lost lives on this section of the road. The worst section in this road is approximately 13 kilometres long, from kilometre 70 to 83, where some of the sections of the road are washing away, some other sections are below grade, and there are sections only six metres wide. I believe the standard is eight metres.
This highway is maintained by a local contractor, but the safety and the meeting of minimum standards is the responsibility of the Department of Transportation. With the potential of a mine opening along Highway No. 6, this highway will see increased use, and we don’t want to see any lives lost on this highway.
Later on I will have questions for the Minister of Transportation on this issue.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. The honourable Member for Frame Lake, Ms. Bisaro.
