Premier says Garden City Skyway will be twinned
New Democrat MPP asking MTO for timelines on long-awaited project
St. Catharines New Democrat MPP Jennie Stevens is asking the province for details and timelines after Premier Doug Ford said his government is moving forward with twinning the Garden City Skyway.
“I am concerned that an announcement without action and firm dates leaves Niagarans in the dark about whether this project will finally be built,” Stevens wrote in a letter to Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney Tuesday.
“We need a clear timeline and action on the ground, not more empty promises and vague commitments.”
Ford’s comment was made during his daily COVID-19 press briefing Monday.
The premier said that as public health trends continue to improve, the province is charting a path for economic recovery that involves getting shovels in the ground on major infrastructure projects.
One of the projects he name dropped was the twinning of the QEW’S Garden City Skyway over the Welland Canal, along with widening sections of highways 401 and 3.
“These infrastructure projects serve our communities and building them will put tens of thousands of people back to work. This is how we’re going to restart jobs and development,” Ford said.
The twinning project has been in the works since 2010 when the province began studying alternatives to the skyway because of structural and traffic safety needs.
In March, the Ministry of Transportation told the St. Catharines Standard the project was still a go, but the detailed design phase work had not started and a required dollar amount had not been finalized.
St. Catharines city council had also asked for an update and was told the province was working on advanced utility relocations required for the project and would do minor repairs this summer.
The MTO did not provide the Standard with an update on the timelines or specify what the premier’s announcement meant for the project.
Stevens said she sent her letter because she didn’t have any information either.
“I’m happy to hear the infrastructure money is heading to St. Catharines. That’s a great news story,” she said Tuesday.
“But great news stories have to have a concrete evidence that you’re going to have shovels ready.”
St. Catharines Mayor Walter
Sendzik said the city was also trying to get more details on the project Tuesday.
He said it will not be done overnight, but that it will be a multi-year construction project that will put a lot of people to work.
“From an infrastructure super-build perspective, I’d say this will probably be one of the province’s largest infrastructure or highway projects in decades and it’s going to happen here in St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-lake.”