Brighton and Cramahe Township councils are definitely on the same page when it comes to a Highway 401 Emergency Detour Route (EDR) in their area.
Both councils have been trying for several years to have the EDR changed from Old Highway 2 over to Telephone Road.
The current emergency route leads tractor trailers through the winding downtowns of both Brighton and Colborne and is seen as completely unsuitable.
Mayor of Brighton Brian Ostrander says the upcoming bridge work and widening of 401 has created an urgency amongst local officials.
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“I think it’s critical that we get this done before those bridges get shut down in what we think will be 2026. We’re under the gun here. Three years is a very short period of time in the world of government and infrastructure development.”
Telephone Road in Brighton/Cramahe would need at least $15 million in upgrades to accommodate 401 traffic and should the province approve the change, funding support would be sought from the federal and provincial governments.
