A multi-vehicle crash in poor weather closed a section of Hwy. 402 Feb 12-15 (Photo by Troy Adams)A multi-vehicle crash in poor weather closed a section of Hwy. 402 Feb 12-15 (Photo by Troy Adams)
Sarnia

Mayor Demands Winter Road Maintenance Overhaul

Sarnia's mayor is calling for the province to fully review the contracting of winter road maintenance after one of the private companies it hired was fined $900,000.

Carillion Canada was handed fines of $500,000 and $400,000 for failing to properly clear the QEW during two winter storms last year.

The company is paid $87-million a year to undertake the work in designated areas that include highways 402 and 40.

Mayor Mike Bradley says the province has not responded properly to concerns expressed by the auditor general and municipalities including Lambton.

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The Liberal government announced an additional $5-million to improve winter road maintenance after the auditor general reported that since its privatization, snow clearance on major highways was taking over twice as long.

Mayor Bradley says that's not much money when it's spread across the province.

There have been several multi-vehicle pileups on the 402 the past three winters including a double fatality in 2013 and another in 2014 that saw five Plympton-Wyoming firefighters injured while responding to a crash.

Carillion is one of five companies contracted to do winter road maintenance in southern Ontario.

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