Time for Morriston bypass is now, Arnott tells Legislature
(Queen’s Park) – Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott refuses to give up on the Morriston bypass highway project.
“The traffic bottleneck in Morriston directly impacts the safety of local residents. However, it extends beyond that,” Mr. Arnott told the Ontario Legislature on November 30. “Because Highway 6 is such a key economic corridor, connecting the 401 to the Hamilton/Niagara region, as well as to the U.S. border, the traffic jams, which often stretch for kilometres, are costing our provincial economy millions of dollars each and every year.”
There is widespread support for the Highway 6 Morriston bypass, he noted.
“Mayor Dennis Lever and Township Council have pushed strongly for the Highway 6 Morriston bypass project,” Mr. Arnott said. “The County of Wellington, the City of Guelph, and the City of Hamilton all support the Morriston Bypass. So do the Guelph and Hamilton Chambers of Commerce, as well as Tim Hortons, Maple Leaf Foods, Nestlé Waters, Canada Bread, and Cargill.”
With the Government beginning preparations for next year’s provincial budget, Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott felt it was timely to once again insist the Minister of Transportation place the Highway 6 Morriston bypass project on his Ministry’s 5 year plan for highway construction.
“Based on my experience in the Legislature, I’m aware that the Ministry of Transportation will be preparing its pre-budget submissions right now,” stated Mr. Arnott.
The Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review, tabled in the Legislature on November 26, indicated on page 113 that the Government plans to spend $2.466 billion on provincial highway infrastructure this year.
“I urge the Minister to continue to push hard. We’ve been waiting for this project for a generation. Let’s work together to get it done,” he concluded.
The Minister of Transportation was in the House for Mr. Arnott’s statement. The Minister listened intently and afterwards, Mr. Arnott crossed the floor to speak to him and they shook hands.
As soon as it was possible after the 2014 Provincial Election, Mr. Arnott tabled a Private Member’s Resolution calling attention to the need for the Morriston bypass. It is the first item on the Ontario Legislature’s Order Paper listing of Private Member’s Resolutions.
Image not from Mr. Arnott; source: https://morristonbypass.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/its-time-to-get-moving-december-2014-presentation.pdf.
