Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 25, 1996, Winnipeg, Manitoba Free As highways politicians Fumble province scrambling to find Money by Dan Lett National reporter free press file photo some truckers me highways to avoid bad roads in Ontario roads offer wild truckers agree by Stevens wild staff reporter trucker Hubert Wiesner says the highways of Canada have never been in worse shape than they Are and ought to Hes been driving trucks for the past 42 there Are heavier loads and More said who owns his own truck and contracts with Arnold Brothers there Are a lot More trucks on the Road than there were 10 or is years who pulled into Winnipeg last week after a trip to said the worst roads by far were in Ontario especially Highway along Lake in Wiesner Doest drive to Ontario any in the Days when he made the Ontario he would go South of Lake Superior to avoid the bad he would drive South through reenter Canada at and take highways 402 and 401 to wieners not while executives with Winnipeg trucking companies generally give the nations roads Good they give a definite thumb Down to rutted Highway Between Thunder Bay and Sault Marie that connect Manitoba and the West to Central Don Vic president and eral manager of the freight division at Leysen said his com Pany sends its trucks South of Lake Superior through the United states in route to Central Canada whenever they Are the absolutely the White said of the Northern Ontario that Southern route is not always available because weight restrictions in the Are lower than in Al general manager of the Manitoba trucking said the weight restriction along the Southern route is pounds per compared to about pounds along the Northern Ross Vic president of Arnold Brothers said bad roads Are hard on equipment and they mean longer it costs the Economy More than anything Arnold you take a longer time to get from Point a to Point Arnold said he would like to see More twinning of important including the Tran Canada Highway in Western Manitoba and Highway in Northern he said two Lane highways Are frequently the source of Ottawa its Al Billioni problem that threatens personal safety and economic Canadas National highways system is falling the billion is a big All said Manitoba highways min ister a left but what it does is highlight the need that in front of decaying highways Are a threat to personal responsible for More than 350 traffic fatalities and injuries each experts and Topnotch highways contribute to Strong Export Trade and the Canadian automobile association has pegged the Price of fixing our Road system at and though the Price is Ottawa is finally beginning to take theres a this work has to be said Winnipeg my Reg chairman of the House of com Mons standing committee on trans its no longer a question of whether to do its a matter of How we do while finance minister Paul Martin appears to be warming to the idea of a National highways Alcock said its still not Clear How much will be the which currently Bear the Brunt of Road reconstruction say they no longer have the Money to keep up with the Pace of Findlay said Manitoba accounts for about five per cent of the total nation Al highways which includes highways 75 and the perimeter to get these highways into shape could Cost Between million and Findlay said the province is Able to commit Only million per year to Road con and Only million to million to National highways within its Findlay said that Means Ottawa is going to have to come to the table or the National network will come crash Alcock has to be done Ilig right governments Are looking at two financing options the diversion of parts of the 10 cent per litre Al excise tax on gasoline and a Sive partnership with the private the which is actively lobbying for a National highways believes it could raise billion per year through a tax of two cents per litre of Alcock said diverting tax revenues to Road construction May not be an option until the Federal government gets its deficit situation under in the there Are several other he the first is the Federal infrastructure government Money would be used to leverage private Sec Tor a private partner could assume All the costs of constructing a Section of Road or a Bridge and then lease it Back to the government responsible Over an extended period of 20 or 25 he added tolls Are also a Public private partnerships have been used for construction of the fixed link Bridge Between and the Mainland and a Large freeway in the greater Toronto the coalition to renew Canadas infrastructure Curci told the Federal government last week to get on Board the National highways bandwagon or suffer the economic than 86 Pur or nearly 13 mfr Canadian adults have a Dri highways is 14 while the average age of Bridges is 23 More than ears per Day travel the National highways text rough the estimated Cost to the omy of tratiicr3lated collisions is As much As billion per Road collisions Are the major cause of death for canadians Between the Ages of 15 and proponents believe in Road repairs and improvements can pro Duce up to in savings from avoiding Road a National highways program could create an estimated jobs in tourism and plus provide savings of lion in vehicle maintenance and fuel costs and an additional million in damage to it is estimated the increased economic activity from employment would save the Feder Al government million in employment insurance sources transport Cana Dian automobile new expanding value added processing plants in Manitoba Carberry Prairie Harvest Altona adm Carberry flour Mill Elie Borderland Russell Elie Straw Board Killarney Agra Agathe Canamero Canamero Altona schneiders a cans Gordon free press More tear expected continued from a1 if you Start adding you just put yourself in a less competitive he he also made it Clear the government int prepared to ease up on its push for More Rural economic development and so that Likely Means even More Wear and tear on roads in the the report says a Combina Tion of factors Are fuelling this growth in truck one is the abolition earlier this year of the Crow Benefit rail freight without the its now much More costly for Manitoba Farmers to ship their Grain by rail to Export Termi As a a growing num Ber of f area producers Are opt ing to either truck their Grain to the Northern United states or to one of the growing num Ber of value added processing plants in the province such As the Canamero oilseed crushing plants in Harrowby and companies looking to take advantage of the diversifying Economy have built massive new plants on the highways sys for the newly announced Isoford manufacturing Plant planned for Elie Calls for Between and tractor trailer truck loads of Straw to be hauled into the Plant Between the Ning of August and the end of december each Dick a Robords Vic president of said Iso Bof d needs a Good net work of Well maintained farm secondary roads and Pri Mary roads to be eleven other from schneiders pork processing Plant in Winnipeg to the new Prairie Harvest pasts production Plant in Are also dependent on truck tast Arborg Farmer Kes Jacobson bought an 18wheel tractor trailer truck to haul Grain to High throughput elevators near to haul canola seed to a see crushing Plant in and to transport hogs to meatpacking plants in we knew that logistically we get All of our Grain into Winnipeg with our regular Jacobson in their Prentice and Rosier note that because rationalization within Western Canadas Indus there Are subs Tanaily fewer Grain elevators in operation it offers options in pattern of trucking in Man Lay there Are several 15 Tor solving the Highway Mari Iund of fld Federal provincial the Bays roast Turkey dinner just got better Bonus turtles 2pock bar with each dinner Purchase enjoy our delicious roast Turkey dinner with All the trimmings for just 599 each meal includes a generous portion of roast served with savoury Choice of potato and Cranberry Orange Turkey Cream freshly baked Roll and Choice 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