Reconstruction rethink

I am a citizen of the Interlake who is deeply alarmed about the ongoing and deplorably unsafe condition of Highway 8, caused by the poor planning and implementation of the massive construction project that, ironically, is being done to increase public safety.

While the installation of passing lanes on this highway is a good idea that is long overdue, how is it that there has been such a gross lack of oversight in the construction of these improvements?

It is incomprehensible that construction of this project wasn't undertaken in stages, with one or two sets of passing lanes being constructed to completion this season and the remainder being built next season. This would have certainly minimized safety hazards and driver inconvenience.

The current situation has rendered Highway 8 unusable for some drivers, resulting in heavy and sustained traffic on alternate routes which are not as well-designed and maintained. These include highways 7 and 9, PTH 231 and other east-west roads.

At this late date it is apparent that construction will not be anywhere close to completion this season — an alarming situation with winter fast approaching.

This highway is the major transportation route from Winnipeg to the communities of the Lake Winnipeg beaches, Gimli, Arborg, Riverton and the many smaller communities along Lake Winnipeg. It is heavily used for daily commuting, commercial freighting, farm vehicles, seasonal and weekend recreational traffic and by local residents.

The lack of planning, oversight and supervision on this entire boondoggle has been incompetent to the point of criminality, given the ongoing serious risk to public safety.