From left: Renfrew Mayor Tom Sidney, McNab/Braeside Mayor Lori Hoddinott, Renfrew County Warden Jennifer Murphy, Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP Billy Denault, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation Ric Bresee
After years of waiting, the highly anticipated push to expand Highway 17 from Arnprior to Renfrew has taken its first step.
Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP Billy Denault joined Ric Bresee, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, in Renfrew on Friday morning to announce that the province has issued requests for proposals to design the expansion of Highway 17 from two to four lanes between the two towns.
Denault says the announcement is a concrete step in moving forward with the expansion of a critical artery in the Ottawa Valley that connects communities and supports local economies, something the community and local officials have made clear is a top priority.
Renfrew County Warden Jennifer Murphy was excited to finally have a defined timeline for the lane twinning and an official commitment for funding, calling them steps that needed to be taken after years of lobbying from the county to continue the four-lane expansion further through the region.
Renfrew Mayor Tom Sidney expects the project to open the door to more economic opportunities for residents as his staff prepares land near the entrances into town for residential and commercial growth that will come with the added traffic.
McNab-Braeside Mayor Lori Hoddinott adds that the upgrades are needed sooner rather than later, as not only has the two-lane highway caused several head-on collisions and three fatal accidents in just the last month, but it has also put a strain on several vital construction projects in the area.
The affected section of Highway 17 will be split into five separate contracts that will see bidding begin in the near future, a decision that Denault says reflects the current state of the market and will offer local contractors a greater opportunity to be part of the process.
(written by Kasey Egan)