Progressive Conservative MLA for Morris Mavis Taillieu is calling on the NDP government to move quickly to twin what she is calling a dangerous stretch of the Trans Canada Highway in Headingley, Manitoba.
"The federal government obviously realizes the importance of this project, having singled it out in their recent budget documents," Taillieu said.
"This recognition is certainly appreciated. It is now time for the provincial government to give this project the same high priority and to get shovels in the ground this construction season," she adds.
Taillieu says the six-kilometre stretch of Trans Canada Highway in Headingley is extremely busy, averaging 18,000 vehicles daily.
The Tories say the road is also one of the few remaining stretches of undivided highway in Manitoba, and it has seen more than 100 accidents in recent years, some of them fatal.
In the fall of 2007, Taillieu says she called on Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation Ron Lemieux to make the dangerous stretch an urgent construction priority in 2008 but says no action was taken and Taillieu is again urging the NDP to make this project a priority.
"People have needlessly died on this highway," Taillieu said.
Taillieu says between the Building Canada Fund and the other funding allocated for infrastructure in the federal budget, there is no reason to delay construction.
Minister Ron Lemieux's office say that safety improvements to that stretch of highway is in their five-year plan, but say safety improvements have already been made with the addition of centre-line and edge-line rumble strips.
As for the funding, the Doer government is still waiting to see what Federal money will be available, saying they cannot spend it until they know what it is exactly, noting the devil is always in the details.
Charleswood-St. James MP Stephen Fletcher has also made this issue a priority.
