The City of Belleville has made some major progress in its efforts to get another interchange off Highway 401 into the city.
Mayor Mitch Panciuk says the province has included the Belleville East Arterial Road – otherwise known as the BEAR – in its transportation master plan that was released on Thursday.
“This allows us to be able to seek funding for this project. And we’re hoping that over the next few days we may, we may get that. Because the province can’t fund a transportation project unless it’s in their plan. So now it’s in the plan and that’s huge progress for us.”
Panciuk says the city has been advocating for a new east-end exit for years.
It would be just east of Proctor and Gamble where an arterial road will take transport traffic to Airport Parkway.
“It’ll be really important for not just supply of transport trucks, but also those 9,000 employees that we have in the industrial park getting in and out safely. It’ll take a lot of pressure off Cannifton Road and it’ll allow us to grow in the future.”
Panciuk says Cannifton Road wasn’t designed to handle heavy truck traffic.
He adds the timing of this announcement is crucial because if the interchange isn’t done when Highway 401 is widened, they will have to wait decades for a chance to do it again.
