Dear Editor,
First I want to acknowledge the much-needed work being done on Highway 10 coming into Flin Flon. The improvements will improve public safety for motorists on many difficult turns.
The highway will also be able to accommodate the increase in traffic coming into Hudbay Flin Flon: 52 trucks a day and rising. I am pleased that the current NDP government is aware and supportive of improvements on this highway.
Highway 392 to Snow Lake is currently undergoing construction in sections: work is being completed by Hudbay. It is my hope that the Manitoba government will also invest in this highway for the benefit of all motorists.
Last week, there was a serious collision, potentially life-threatening, between a pickup truck and an ore truck at the intersections of highways 392 and 395 near Snow Lake. This is a blind intersection with a speed limit is 90 km/hr. The combination of poor visibility and high speed make this a dangerous intersection.
Within the next month, Hudbay is planning on doubling the amount of ore and thus traffic on the road. This will greatly increase the potential for more accidents on the highway.
The Stall Lake Con-centrator (Snow Lake Mill) is in the process on an expansion to accommodate the increase in ore processed from the Lalor Mine. This will mean an increase from 38 trucks to 75 trucks each day. As health and safety representative for United Steelworkers 7106, I am concerned for the safety of all travellers on highways 392 and 395.
I am grateful that the fire departments in Flin Flon and Snow Lake have recently brought in new safety equipment for ore truck rollovers. This equipment will assist the departments to rescue people from severely damaged vehicles in case of accident.
I am calling on (Flin Flon MLA) Clarence Pettersen, in conjunction with the Town of Snow Lake, to lower the speed limit at this intersection and to work on the road to improve visibility for the safety of people driving on highway 392 near the intersection of 395.
