WHEREAS the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure has designated official over-dimensional routes in many rural municipalities (RM); and

WHEREAS the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure contributes limited funding towards the maintenance of over-dimensional routes; and

WHEREAS the traffic impact on over-dimensional routes can be severe in RMs, especially near large urban centers;

BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure for negotiated formal agreements with individual rural municipalities to provide sufficient funding reflective of the true costs of maintaining over-dimensional routes.

RESPONSE FROM HONORABLE DON McMORRIS, MINISTER OF HIGHWAYS & INFRASTRUCTURE

In this Resolution, SARM is requesting a negotiated formal agreement with individual rural municipalities to provide sufficient funding reflective of the true costs of maintaining over-dimensional routes.

MHI has engaged the professional services ofVemax Management Ltd. (Vemax) to assist with the development of a dimensional bypass model for oversize loads on municipal roads.  The study was completed and the findings will be presented to the Ministry sometime in the spring.  The findings of the evaluation are to be incorporated into a generic model that will determine fee schedules to be used by MHI to enter into agreements with rural municipalities to establish dimensional bypass routes.

The Ministry will use the findings and recommendations in the report to develop a policy and to establish permanent over-dimension bypass routes within rural municipalities.  SARM will be invited to participate in this process.  A policy framework would ensure consistency and continuity in dealing with situations where oversize loads are required to leave the provincial highway system to bypass overhead structures, overhead utilities, signage, overpasses, narrow bridges, etc.