Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’m glad that some Members here are talking about our highways and highway system.
I just wanted to ask the Minister of Transportation with reference to my Member’s statement. I know that for the 2014 construction year, we had many plans and investment for Highway No. 7, Highway No. 1 north of Fort Simpson towards Wrigley and, of course, from Fort Simpson towards Hay River.
I’d like to ask him about those plans. Are they on track and what’s the DOT’s strategy for completing all the projects this year? Thank you very much.
Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister of Transportation, Mr. Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. There are three main pieces of work happening in the area that the Member speaks of. On Highway No. 7 we are resurfacing and putting new chipseal down from zero to kilometre 20, and the Member knows exactly where that is. Also, on Highway No. 1, we are going to apply new chipseal. I believe there was some chipseal down. We’re going to apply new chipseal from kilometre 395 to 411. Also, again on Highway No. 1 just as it flows into the Member’s riding, from kilometre 188 to kilometre 206 we’re going to resurface and put on new chipseal. Thank you.
Thank you very much. I’d like to thank the Minister for confirming those projects. The one that was most concerning this spring was Highway No. 1 that goes from Fort Simpson and Wrigley. That collapsed in some places; there were ruts; there was lots of mud. I think there were some plans to do some reconstruction work on that Wrigley road section.
I’d like to ask the Minister if he could confirm some of those plans. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, unlike the Member, I don’t know where each of the kilometres start and end. I do believe that the highway that the Member refers to, I think, is from 395 to 411, and that’s the part of the road where we are applying new chipseal. But I cannot confirm that in the House today, if that was the exact section that the Member is referring to, but I would be glad to get that information immediately and get back to the Member. Thank you.
That section the Minister quoted – 395 to 411 – is actually towards the Hay River section. I was looking for the work that’s being done from Fort Simpson towards Wrigley. I think it might be kilometre 420 and even greater. So there was some work being done on the schedule for this year, but I’m asking the Minister to… Let’s complete that work and it looks like there’s more work to be done, by all the phone calls I’ve been receiving from Wrigley residents.
Will the Minister look into it and also confirm the plans to work towards Wrigley? Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, certainly I will look into that. I will talk to the department, and the department, in turn, will contact the regional office out of Simpson and confirm any issues with the road. If there are serious issues with that road, then we’ll repair it. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Final, short supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.
Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I also spoke about the Jean Marie access road. There’s the Dehcho First Nations Annual Assembly there next month.
I’d like to know what plans are to maintain that road for all the travelling public and the increased number of visitors that Jean Marie will receive. Thank you.
Mr. Speaker, earlier we had provided some funding to the group in order to make sure that that access road into Jean Marie is ready before the Dehcho Assembly. I’ll touch base, again, with the region, to the department, to ensure that was enough money to ensure that road was ready for people to drive in there for the Dehcho Assembly. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Member for Sahtu, Mr. Yakeleya.
