Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have a few questions for the Minister of Transportation. As I mentioned during our last session I had some questions on signage along the Dempster Highway, specifically up by the NWT-Yukon border. Mr. Speaker, during the winter months it’s very difficult at times to see exactly where the road is. There’s a huge need for delineators along the highway. As I mentioned last time, I’d like to know if there’s plans this coming summer to ensure we have those in place. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Masi. Minister of Transportation.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the Member stated he’s asked us in the last session, and at that particular time I believe I answered him that during the reconstruction phase of certain sections of the highway that some of the signage was down from the previous construction season and we’d be reinstalling it. I would have to follow up with the department and see where that section of highway is at on that. As far as the rest of the section of highway, we have routine maintenance and inspections of the highway and if the Member has any particular areas of concern I would gladly look into it for him. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Mr. Speaker, the main area that has the highest winds is from kilometer zero to about kilometer 30. From the border to the gorge is, you know, the area that we get the high winds from the Yukon and territories. Some days it’s calm on one side and blowing on the other, and those are the areas that really need the attention for delineators along the highway, similar to the Yukon. They have them about six feet up in the air, because sometimes in high winds you can barely see. They’re spaced about maybe 30 meters apart; at times it’s difficult to see one from the other. I think similar to what they have in the Yukon would work great along that area.
The Member has invited us for a constituency tour and I believe that’s an opportunity when we’re up there in August that we should maybe take a chance to drive the Dempster and have a look at some of the concerns the Member has on the Dempster.
I invite the Minister to join me on a road trip of the Dempster and I look forward to that.
Masi. I’ll take that as a comment to the Minister. Oral questions. Member for Hay River North.
