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Mayor calls special meeting on Maley

In a letter to the editor sent Saturday, Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger announced there will be a special meeting March 1 on the Maley Drive Extension project.
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Mayor Brian Bigger has organized a special meeting on the Maley Drive Extension for March 1. File photo.
In a letter to the editor sent Saturday, Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger announced there will be a special meeting March 1 on the Maley Drive Extension project.

The 10-kilometre extension has been the city's top infrastructure project for decades, but the city has been unable to get the provincial and federal governments to agree to each fund one-third.

But in the June 2014 provincial election, the Liberal government promised $26.7 million for its share, enough to fund phase 1 of the project, as long as the federal government provided its one-third share.

And considering the ambitious infrastructure spending plans of the new federal Liberal government, the project has a good chance of being approved.

Once complete, the extension would allow heavy ore trucks to bypass Lasalle Boulevard. According to the city's website, half of all ore mined in Ontario is trucked across “Lasalle Boulevard, Municipal Road 15 in Blezard Valley, Municipal Road 80 in Val Caron, Val Thérèse and Hanmer, and Municipal Road 84 to Capreol.

“Shifting heavy truck traffic from the city’s main commuter routes, including Lasalle Boulevard and The Kingsway, will extend the life of the city’s arterial roads and ultimately reduce maintenance costs,” the website says.

The city's full explanation of the project can be found here.

But critics say the extension is too costly and no longer necessary. One such critic, retired Vale engineer Thomas Price, has a one-hour presentation on why he opposes Maley. His full presentation can be viewed on YouTube.

He was denied permission to present at the operations committee last month, but in Bigger's letter, the mayor says Price has been invited to speak at the March 1 event.

“On that date, I have asked Tony Cecutti, general manager of infrastructure services, to present an information report and the business case supporting the Maley Drive Phase One Project,” Bigger said.

“Earlier this week, I spoke with Mr. Price and have invited him to speak at that meeting to share his views about the project. Mr. Price had asked to present to council, and we were working to accommodate this request.

“Providing this opportunity to Mr. Price reflects council and the city’s commitment to an open and transparent process, in line with our open government model.”

While Bigger has come out in favour of Maley, no clear consensus has emerged among city councillors. Some have voice support, others opposition and still others haven't taken a public position.

In his letter, Bigger says the project reroute up to 1,500 heavy trucks and “is expected to create 780 jobs in our community.

“The benefits for the residents of the City of Greater Sudbury of the Maley Drive Extension project will significantly outweigh our investment and the funding for this project is not transferable to other projects. I remain committed to moving forward with this project.”

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