Letter: Make mining giants pay for new roads

At precisely 4:07 p.m. Sept. 15, I was at the intersection of Lasalle Boulevard and BarryDowne Road, driving westward on Lasalle.

At 4:14 p.m., a mere seven minutes later, I had passed the Lasalle/Notre Dame intersection, continuing west on the Lasalle exension.

Given that I had to pass through nine sets of traffic lights, at least three of which had turned red, seven minutes was a remarkably short space of time to traverse a road which in past years would probably have been congested with traffic.

It occurred to me that road improvements, particularly the right turn lane going north to Val Caron at the Lasalle/Notre Dame intersection, have proved immensely effective in reducing traffic tie-ups.

So why do we need a Maley Drive extension? Proponents argue the destruction of our roadways, notably Lasalle and The Kingsway, by heavy transports necessitates this investment.

But then such a response begs another question: why should the costs associated with such an expensive investment be borne by various levels of government?

In Vancouver, heavy traffic on city roads is either restricted or forbidden.

Many cities take proactive measures to protect their roadways, particularly during the sensitive springtime thaw.

Are our local leaders too timid to confront the mining giants by enacting laws or bylaws to prolong our roadways and thereby reduce the hemorrhaging of our tax dollars? I’m listening.

PS: How did Inco and Falconbridge transport ore during wartime 75 years ago? Given the primitive state of road transportation, there was only one alternative: rail.

Peter Desotti
Sudbury