ConstructionSign

By: Nick Liard

The four-laning of Highway 69 will not be completed until 2019 at the earliest and even may be delayed until 2021…that’s according to Ontario’s Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca.

Construction challenges and the ongoing federal environmental assessment process, which includes consultations with First Nations along the route, is given as the reasons for the delay.

Del Duca was in Alban today to take a tour of the ongoing construction and met with Project Manager John Cimino.

Cimino says some of the challenges are crossing waterways while keeping the environment in mind.

A 9 km stretch of road North of Alban will be open this summer, with an 11 km stretch ready for 2016.

20 more kilometres will be open by 2016, then it’s on to over 80 kilometres of land that has yet to see construction.

The original completion date was 2017.