New industrial park access could open Powassan to businesses

POWASSAN Ont. — Powassan council has put the wheels in motion to make it easier for large vehicles — like tractor-trailers and dump trucks — to make their way to the municipality’s industrial park.

Engineer Codey Munshaw, has been directed by the council to talk to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) about acquiring two roads connected with the park.

One is Fair View Lane and the other is a short stretch of the former Highway 534 which was replaced by the current Highway 534f (see map above).

Deputy Mayor Randy Hall says right now large vehicles on Fair View Lane have to make a 145-degree left turn onto the former Highway 534 and then quickly make a 90-degree right turn to enter Industrial Park Drive.

“There are people with concerns about these turns,” says Hall. “But, if we owned Fair View Lane and the former Highway 534, we could extend Industrial Park Drive by crossing the old highway and connecting with Fair View Lane.”

Hall says easier access to the industrial park opens the door to more businesses wanting to locate there.

“Right now, it takes a lot to get a tractor-trailer in there but a straight access road changes all that,” he says.

According to Hall, in some instances the driver of a big truck can’t make the 145-degree left turn, they will instead turn right on the former highway, and once fully on the old 534 they begin backing up until they can make the turn onto Industrial Park Drive.

Hall adds this works as long as there is no other traffic on the old highway.

He says council is moving on the proposal now because since this is an election year, the council will soon reach a lame duck status in which it’s restricted from approving major monetary items.

But, directing Munshow to talk to the MTO now allows the process to continue even when the council is at a lame duck stage.

Hall says the alternative would have been doing nothing and waiting for a new council to be sworn in. This way, Munshaw’s initial work won't delayed by as much as half a year.

Hall says the discussions Munshaw has with the MTO don’t bind the municipality to anything and the costs to acquire the two roads would form part of Munshaw’s discussions with the MTO.

Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the North Bay Nugget. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.