Province creates new snow clearing standards for two northern highways

The province says it is improving road safety by clearing snow from two northern Ontario highways faster.

In a news release Friday, Ontario's Ministry of Transportation said Highways 11 and 17 will need to be fully cleared within 12 hours of a winter storm, four hours faster than the previous standard.

"Our government is the first to create a new highway level of service that will ensure Highways 11 and 17 are cleared faster, while improving road safety for drivers in the north," said Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, in the release.

The new standard followed a technical review of winter maintenance for the highways along with analysis from a winter maintenance pilot program over the last two years. The standard in Ontario for major highways with between 2,001 and 10,000 vehicles on average per day in the north, is 16 hours.

"Our government continues to ensure that Ontario is upholding the highest winter maintenance standards in North America. Clearing Highways 11 and 17 to bare pavement four hours faster following a winter storm will help keep Nipissing residents safe when they travel," said Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade and Nipissing MPP Victor Fedeli.

In addition to the new snow clearing standard, the province will also improve winter highway maintenance on these roadways with the use of more underbody plows, which will removing snowpack better than conventional plows, increased proactive use of anti-icing liquids before storms and enhancing 14 rest areas to provide safe places to stop during the winter season.
Mushkegowuk-James Bay MPP Guy Bourgouin, of the NDP, said the announcement should have gone farther to improve road safety standards on northern highways. He has tried twice to pass a private member’s bill that would classify both Highway 11 and 17 as Class 1 Highways, which comes with even higher standards including an eight-hour road clearing following a winter storm.

“We should be no different than the 400s and the QEW, eight hours. Yes, it means more investment but we deserve the same because … there are no other bypasses. It’s just these two highways, Highway 11 and 17. And when they’re closed, guess what? We’re shut down from the rest,“ said Bourgouin.

Highway 11 connects Barrie to Matheson, in northern Ontario, before turning west past Thunder Bay, towards the Manitoba border.Hwy 11 connects Barrie to Matheson, in northern Ontario. (Google Maps)Highway 17 connects Kenora, in northwestern Ontario to the Ottawa Valley passing through much of the northeast.Highway 17 services Thunder Bay, Heart, Kapuskasing and North Bay by connecting them to Kenora in northwest and Ottawa Valley in the east. (Google Maps)Also in the name of safety, the province is building an additional 24 road weather information stations, 14 of which will be in northern Ontario, to respond to changing winter conditions more effectively.

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“We know that individuals across the north share the roads with mining and other resource development vehicles. It is especially important to keep these roads safe and clear during the harsh weather conditions in the north,” said Ontario Minister of Mines and Timmins MPP George Pirie.

“This is another step our government is taking to ensure families and workers stay safe this winter."

More information on how the province prioritizes clearing highways can be found here.

“It’s a significant commitment by the province to improve the safety standards on our highways, in the north,” added Pirie.

“Minister Mulroney, she’s spearheading this announcement. She’ll see that it gets done.”

The province also said it was moving ahead with North America's first-ever 2+1 highway pilot proposed for a portion of Highway 11 near Temiskaming Shores.

Article written with files from CTV Northern Ontario's Sergio Arangio.