Arnott again pushes for bypass in Legislature

TORONTO

On Sept. 12, Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott stood in the Ontario Legislature once more to call on the Ministry of Transportation to add the Morriston bypass to its five-year plan.

The project would realign Highway 6 south of Highway 401 in Puslinch to bypass the congested two-lane section through the community of Morriston. The area is currently a bottleneck, with traffic jams that often stretch for several kilometers.

Arnott argued the project would have significant economic benefits throughout the region.

“Highway 6 serves an important economic corridor, linking the 401 to the Hamilton and Niagara regions, as well as to the U.S. border,” he told the Legislature. “It is vital to the economy of a large portion of southern Ontario.”

In May, Arnott, Puslinch Mayor Dennis Lever and several other municipal representatives met with Transportation Minister Bob Chiarelli to discuss the need and how to best move forward with the project.

In the coming weeks, Arnott intends to seek the support of other area MPPs.

“This traffic jam in Morriston happens to be in my riding, but the congestion impacts many other ridings as well,” he said. “The environmental assessment has been done. Property acquistion needs to be accelerated.”

Arnott has been advocating for the Morriston bypass for years and he says he will continue to highlight the issue in the Ontario Legislature.

“The Government plans to spend $2.4 billion on highway infrastructure this year,” he concluded.  “We need our fair share, and we need to know when we’re going to be on the ministry’s five-year plan.”

September 21, 2012