No word on speed limits from MTO

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has yet to say if four-laned parts of Highway 11-17, such as recently upgraded sections east of Thunder Bay, are being considered for a speed-limit increase like other routes in the province. Speed limits on parts of Ontario's 400-series highways, as well as a 60-kilometre stretch of Highway 69 between Sudbury and the French River, are to increase to 110 km/h from 100 km/h starting on July 12, the ministry said on Wednesday. Those routes were selected for a limit increase "based on their ability to safely accommodate higher speed limits," an MTO spokesperson said. The current speed limit on Highway 11-17 is 90 km/h, including the sections that have been upgraded to four lanes. MTO has said earlier that the limit remains at 90 km/h because Highway 11-17 is not a freeway, meaning there are open intersections along the route providing access to sideroads and provincial roads. "The ministry will continue to seek input from the public and our road safety and enforcement partners as we make progress in our effort to modernize Ontario's transportation network," the spokesperson added. Wednesday's announcement of the 400-series speed-limit increase is to include 860 kilometres, or 36 per cent, of Ontario's highways, according to a provincial backgrounder. In the mid-1970s, the maximum speed on some 400-series routes was 113 km/h, but it was lowered due to that era's global oil shortage, the province noted. "Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan (currently) have a maximum speed limit of 110 km/h, while in British Columbia, the maximum speed limit is 120 km/h," the backgrounder said. Environmentalists have warned that raising the speed limit will result in more gasoline being burned by cars and trucks, and more carbon being emitted into the air. Safety blitz Meanwhile, a safety blitz last week by provincial police and MTO inspectors working in the vicinity of a new truck inspection station in Shuniah resulted in 130 commercial vehicles and several "fatigued" drivers being taken off the road. Police said that 350 commercial vehicles were checked during the enforcement exercise "in and around" MTO's inspection station on Highway 11-17 east of Thunder Bay. The $30-million station officially went into service earlier this year after a prolonged startup phase. Trucks were ordered off the road for faulty equipment and drivers that had not taken required rest periods, an OPP news release said. "We will continue to hold drivers of these vehicles to a high standard to mitigate the negative impact of poor driving habits, hours of service violations leading to fatigued drivers, and unsafe vehicles," regional OPP traffic manager Staff Sgt. Tim Penfold said in an OPP news release.

Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative reporter, The Chronicle-Journal