Debates of May 16, 2007 (day 8)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Highway No. 8 is always a difficult highway to drive sometimes. There is a lot of dust and a lot of potholes. I would like to ask the Minister of Transportation how the Department of Transportation determines the amount of dust control they are going to apply onto a road in a year if there is a 152-kilometre stretch from Inuvik to Fort McPherson that needs it? How do they determine that? I would like to know if it is cost or safety. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. The honourable Minister responsible for Transportation, Mr. Menicoche.

Return To Question 101-15(6): Dust Control On Public Highways

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As with any highway where there are many challenges to ensure the highways are as safe as possible for the travelling public, and the Dempster Highway that the Member is referring to is one of the ones that we are focussing a lot of our capital and energy on. We are basically reconstructing that highway. Also, another one of the big challenges is the amount of dust control that we can apply to those roads. One of our biggest barriers, Mr. Speaker, is the cost of application; whereas, down south, the southern sections of our roads, we can get away with $1,500 per kilometre. On the Dempster, it is costing us $5,000 per kilometre. It really impacts the amount of O and M we can apply to those roads. That is one of the deciding factors, Mr. Speaker. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 101-15(6): Dust Control On Public Highways

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that. It just surprises me that we hear so much talk about cost and you do one stretch that is $5,000 per kilometre. What happens if an accident happens on another stretch on another kilometre where it wasn’t dust controlled? Are those people worth more than $5,000? I would think so. We have been fortunate that we have not had as many accidents as we could have had on that highway. The Inuvik to Fort McPherson section of it is very bad. I would like to ask the Minister to be the Transportation Minister. He has to know all the highways. I would like to ask him if he has been on the Dempster Highway. If not, would he commit to taking a ride on the Dempster Highway, once the snow goes, with myself as the driver? Thank you.

---Laughter

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 101-15(6): Dust Control On Public Highways

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In fact, I did commit to the Member that I would certainly be glad to take a ride with him on the Dempster at the posted speed limit, of course.

---Laughter

I am certainly interested in the highway that we are spending lots of resources on. I do want to see for myself, Mr. Speaker. So I will be happy to commit to that. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Supplementary, Mr. McLeod.

Supplementary To Question 101-15(6): Dust Control On Public Highways

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Minister for that commitment. I look forward to the ride. I would like to ask the Minister, before I asked him, how does the department determine how much highway to dust control? Now I would like to ask the Minister, who decides how much of that highway we can apply dust control to? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. McLeod. Mr. Menicoche.

Further Return To Question 101-15(6): Dust Control On Public Highways

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am not quite sure what the Member is getting at, if he is looking for a name or…but, typically, it is done by regional offices that makes a determination based on the condition of the road and engineering studies that we conduct periodically. That is how the highways are assessed for need for work, etcetera. Mahsi.