(Photo of a section of Highway 2.)
The virtual open house showcases a variety of possible changes, such as the building of a paved and lighted pedestrian pathway east of the highway from Far Reserve Road to Brown Street, as well as a new bridge over the Montreal River.
David Horth, the Director of Communications for the Ministry of Highways, said the ministry is asking for community feedback on the proposed changes. “We’ve been going through a bit of a process where right now we are asking people for their feedback on some of the things that we’re doing. We’re trying to look at transportation needs through a broader lens, so obviously cars. That’s a big part of it, but we also know that people walk along that corridor, they use their bikes, and in some cases they may be using ATVs or snowmobiles. So we’re trying to look at that area in a more holistic sense,” he said. “So, what we did was we held some conversations with leadership from the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, La Ronge, and Air Ronge, and we had a virtual open house in 2022, and more than 800 people visited the site and more than 100 provided feedback.”
In the initial survey, community leadership and residents in the tri-communities outlined changes and concerns they wanted to see highlighted in the project, such as a lack of pedestrian pathways and sidewalks, better lighting, signs that are ineffective, congestion for traffic, turning lanes, unsafe driveways, the replacement of the Montreal River Bridge, and pedestrian-controlled crosswalks.
The estimated 20-year plan will be conducted in three phases titled; short term, intermediate term, and long term. Short-term projects taking place within a couple of years, intermediate projects taking place around the 10-year mark, and long-term projects concluding upgrades.
The plan’s second virtual open house will conclude on July 10. To access the 2023 virtual open house and provide feedback, residents can visit www.highway102-2.ca.