In a notice to industry, the City of Thunder Bay signaled its intent to implement it new Designated Truck Route (DTR) effective October 1.
Under the new DTR, transport trucks will be redirected off Dawson Road and Arthur Street and instead required to use Highway 11/17.
The Thunder Bay Police Service will be enforcing the new route to maintain community safety.
OTA has voiced concerns about the proposed route and even asked the province to intervene.
About 1300 trucks, carrying $60 million of trade daily, will be impacted. This will add about 7.6 million km of truck travel per year – which is projected to result in an additional 5.7 tractor-trailer collisions annually on Hwy 11/17 between Thunder Bay and the Sistonens Corner intersection. The extra distance will also see an additional fuel burn of 3 million litres of diesel fuel and create 7900 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
“We have raised concerns about the potential impact on road safety and the environment. We will be monitoring the situation,” said Geoff Wood, Sr. VP Policy, Ontario Trucking Association.
For complete information on the Designated Truck Route, including maps and frequently asked questions, carriers are encouraged to visit the city’s website www.thunderbay.ca/DTR