It was almost four months ago when Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney and Premier Doug Ford were in Bradford for the annual Carrotfest and gave the green light for the Bradford bypass project.
In Question Period earlier this week, Mulroney, who is also the MPP for York-Simcoe, was asked by MPP Michael Coteau about the status of the project and the “delays in promised infrastructure.”
“The premier was up in Bradford this August with big fanfare about the Highway 400-404 link. The minister, as the local MPP, said getting the Bradford bypass built was her No. 1 priority. So here’s my question: What progress has actually been made since August? The good people of York-Simcoe would like to know,” demanded Coteau.
Mulroney responded, noting it was the Liberal government which cancelled the original Environmental Assessment (EA) back in 2003.
“The people of York-Simcoe and the people of York Region and Simcoe County have been waiting for this important link to connect people and to connect goods between the 400 and the 404," Mulroney said. "Our government announced plans to restart the EA, and we’re in the process of doing that work.
"As we move forward with the EA, we’ll have more to say in the future," she added.
In a press release from Coteau, he questioned whether the EA is the same one used from 2002, or if the government is working on a new one altogether.
"There's a big difference in terms of timelines for the people of Bradford if the minister is actually 'restarting' the environmental assessment, rather than simply reviewing it," said Coteau.
"I've visited York-Simcoe several times this year as part of the Ontario Liberal leadership race, and I can tell you the bypass remains the No. 1 issue for local voters and municipal leaders, and they deserve answers from their MPP," the press release stated.
In regards to the Bradford bypass, Coteau wants an update on the project and its budget and timeline.
"What is your plan, and if now, you are going to go all the way back to the drawing board, what does that exactly mean, how long will that take? What is the budget commitment to this project and when do you expect to deliver a plan and consult the community on this issue? Because as far as everyone was concerned we were going ahead with this," he said.
BradfordToday reached out to Mulroney, who noted the government is in the process of updating the 2002 EA.
"Yes, our government is updating the 2002 EA for the re-initiation of design work on the Bradford bypass," she said. "We will be taking into consideration aspects of the previous design to ensure that the revised EA takes into account modern realities, such as projected traffic demand and appropriate engineering design.”
In Question Period, she noted, "as we move forward with the EA, we’ll have more to say in the future."
