Hanson takes a Bumpy Ride

MLA David Hanson is bringing attention to the road conditions in the region. The MLA for Two Hills – St. Paul – Lac La Biche, recently brought attention to the conditions on Highway 881 by displaying how local students are affected. Hanson took a big yellow school bus for a trip down the popular route to show how much the road is deteriorating.

The idea stemmed from a meeting Hanson had with local bus drivers, “one of the concerns was about how rough the roads were. There was a bus there, so we jumped in it and went down the road between St. Vincent and St. Paul.”

Hanson said he has driven Highway 881 many times and was aware of how bumpy it was, but hadn’t realized how much that was accelerated in a school bus. The MLA filmed the endeavor and put in on Facebook to help gain attention to the road conditions in the region.

The legislature is on constituency break for the week and will return in session next week. Hanson plans to deliver the video to members of the legislature, as well as the Transportation Minister, the Honourable Brian Mason.

“Hopefully, he and his deputy ministers will watch it and we’ll get something done.”

Getting the highway on the Province’s radar is Hanson’s main goal, “that highway in particular is not on the list of approved projects for this year or the year after. A lot of times when [the Government] actually sees something, or comes out and experience’s it themselves, that kind of opens their eyes.”

“If you watch the video or even driven down that highway, you know exactly what we’re talking about.”

Highway 881 is not the only highway that is in need of attention in the region, said Hanson. Some highways that were suggested, in the comments section of the video, included; Highway 28 between Ashmont & Smoky Lake, Highway 867, roads in reserves (Saddle Lake & Goodfish Lake), and various highways in the County of St. Paul.