Past governments are to blame for continuous road closures : NDP’s Mantha

May 25, 2018 @ 06:45

Michael Mantha, the Ontario NDP candidate for Algoma-Manitoulin, issued the following statement after Hwy 631 was closed between White River and Hornepayne due to a culvert collapse.

 

“My team has been in contact with the Ministry of Transportation and will continue to monitor the situation throughout the day. They anticipate the highway to be open to one lane tomorrow and two lanes fully reopened by next Wednesday.

 

Previous similar incidents have resulted in the closure of our northern highways including the TransCanada.  It is unacceptable that this kind of situation happens as often as it does in a province like Ontario. It reflects poorly on past Conservative and Liberal governments that have been negligent in maintaining the safety of our main roads.

 

Since alternative routes are not readily available in the North, road closures on main highways in this region can result in considerable damage to our economy. Businesses and individuals depend on reliable highways to move goods, access essential services, get to school, access medical care or simply get to work.

 

It is my hope that when a new government is elected on June 7th it makes it a priority to address this recurring issue that causes considerable hardship for our region.  Regardless of whoever forms government, I will continue to bring concerns from Algoma-Manitoulin to Queen’s Park and ensure that our roads are properly maintained.”

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