Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 28, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba a4 Winnipeg free press monday August 28, 2006 Manitoba Highway pledge stirs anger provincial neglect condemned roads like Rotten Teeth by Bartley Kives p remier Gary doers pledge to find More Cash for crumbling highways has angered groups representing Manitoba truckers Dri vers and the construction Industry ? organizations which normally Wel come Highway funding announce ments. The Manitoba trucking association Caa Manitoba and the Manitoba heavy construction association Are each condemning the province for years of inaction on Highway maintenance instead of praising doer for his recent Promise to redirect Rainy Day funds to Road repairs. The Premier said recently a higher than expected surplus will allow the nip government to spend More Money on Urban streets and Rural High ways. No Dollar figure was attached to the pledge but it arrived just Over a month after a free press poll cited infrastructure As the no. 1 concern among Manitoba voters. Manitoba spends $257 million a year on highways while Industry pegs Road maintenance needs at $400 to $500 Mil lion each year. The extra provincial spending this year will be redirected from a Rainy Day fund that now sits at More than $500 million about $100 million More than expected. This puzzles me. The province we want your views what do you think is the worst High Way in the province is there a series of potholes ruts bumps or sinkholes that merits special attention Send your horror stories to and Well print a selection. Ignores highways for years and then All of a sudden when the polls come out they re Able to pull Money from a Rainy Day fund asked Mike Mager president of Caa Manitoba. There is no Long term plan. Do i smell an election year the nip is expected to Call a Provin Cial election in 2007. But highways advocates have complained about underfunding for years ? not just by the doer administration but by the preceding tory government under Gary Filmon in the 1990s and Howard Pawley a earlier nip government in the 1980s. Successive governments have failed to make the appropriate invest ment in our highways while at the same time they collect fuel taxes complained Bob Dolyniuk general manager of the Manitoba trucking association. He also rapped the Federal govern ment for failing to do its part for Infra Structure. He describes the provinces latest funding announcement As a pit Tance because it fails to address the infrastructure deficit in the Long term. Every year the Manitoba trucking association presents Manitoba transportation with a wish list of Highway improvements. Dolyniuk said the worst roads include sections of the trans Canada Highway the perimeter and Highway 75. The province has a priority list of its own for Highway repairs but does not make it Public. But almost every High Way in the province is benefiting from some sort of repairs this year said Ron Weatherdon Manitoba High ways acting executive director of construction and maintenance. We Are doing the Best we can with the resources we have he said adding reconstruction efforts this summer have been aided by warm dry weather. Much of the work the province is doing amounts to near cosmetic sur face work charged Chris Lorenc pres ident of the Manitoba heavy construction association and another staunch critic of provincial Road policy. Its a Challenge to find a Road in Manitoba that a any Good he said claiming Many roads Are damaged beyond repair due to neglect. Our roads Are like Teeth that Haven to been cleaned for a Long time. We have a Mouth full of holes because of All the Rotten Teeth Lorenc said. Regular maintenance costs less than a third of the Price of replacing dam aged roads he said adding his name to the chorus demanding a Long term highways strategy. Saying you re going to pull Money from a rain Day fund is not a plan. It does not Tell me anything other than you re bowing to Public pressure.?. ? with files from Mia Rabson Manitoba a most hated highways the worst highways in the province according to the Manitoba trucking association Caa Manitoba and the Manitoba heavy construction association the trans Canada Highway Highway 1 the two Lane Western Section near the Saskatchewan Bor Der is rated the worst in terms of safety with heavy traffic and narrow twisting lanes blamed for six traffic fatalities Over the past 10 months alone. The province plans to com plete the twinning of the Western Section by the fall of 2007. There Are also ruts in trans Canada lanes West of Winnipeg and Calls for a 15-Kilometre two Lane Section near the Ontario Border to be twinned As Well. Highway 75 rated the worst in terms of surface conditions alone with ruts creating a rough ride from the . Border to Morris. Two major reconstruction projects Are under Way right now with More planned that will see repairs continue for the next four years Manitoba transportation says. The Manitoba trucking association also complains that Highway 75 ends up under water every time the red River floods. That forces truck ers to take detours that Cost the Industry $80,000 to $100,000 per Day the Meta claims. The perimeter highways 100 and 101 two Lane northeastern Section Between Highway 59 and the trans Canada deemed unsafe but will be twinned. Highways 2 and 3 some surfaces in very bad condition despite Exten Sive recent repairs. Highway 59 truckers complain of rough sections and safety issues Between Winnipeg and the . Bor Der although twinning is underway. The province plans to build two new Bridges Over the Seine River diversion. Highway 8 two Lane Section Between St. Andrews and Gimli deemed unsafe due to heavy com Muter and cottage traffic. Caa Manitoba wants four lanes but there Are no plans for twinning on the horizon. Highway 6 reconstruction projects underway in Northern Manitoba sections. Highway 10 surfaces South of Brandon in bad condition with minor repairs underway. The Yellowhead Highway 16 motorists complain of bumps and holes on the main route connecting Winnipeg to Saskatoon. ? Bartley Kives ;