Concerns about the economic impact of congestion along the 403 has planners with the City of Hamilton recommending that council call on the province to expand the highway.
“Five years from now, I don’t even want to think about what the traffic is going to be like in these areas, we will start losing business,” said the city’s director of growth, Guy Paparella.
A new report from city staff points to the need for three lanes between the Lincoln Alexander Parkway and Main street.
Paparella, says the daily bottleneck along the Ancaster Hill is stifling the movement of goods and, potentially, future business opportunities.
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He adds that both airport and cargo businesses are citing it as a concern.
“To have their product sitting in a truck on a highway, in a congested area, that is not going to attract more business,” he said.
“We have to make sure that we can create a situation where commerce and entrepreneurs can flourish and be successful and these are the types of things we need to fix.”
Paparella says it’s time for strong political action to widen the corridor.
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A report going before the General Issues Committee Oct. 4 recommends that the city ask the Ministry of Transportation to make it a priority.
It also suggests that council assert the need for upgrades to the Highway 5 and 6 interchange within the next five years, noting that in both cases the improvements are “critical for the safety and economic viability of the city.”
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