401 detour route under review

The County of Northumberland is reviewing the route taken by vehicles when the 401 is closed - and not everyone is happy.

Cramahe Township Mayor Marc Coombs advised his Council on May 19 that the changes do not affect Cramahe. He's not sure that is a good thing.

Currently, when the 401 is closed, all traffic wends its way through downtown Colborne, jamming County Rd. 2 and disrupting commercial activities. The mayor wondered aloud about the possibility of having the trafiic routed north to Morganston and then east to Codrington.

The Northumberland proposal has traffic using current routes south of 401, but adds a northern alrternate route which travels along County Rd. 22 before heading south at Castleton and then through Colborne.

To create this split route the county would have to rehabilitate County Rd. 22 so that it could withstand the transport traffic. The county proposal is dependant on obtaining money from the Build Canada funding program. An application has been made.