Dear Editor,
It’s a long time coming but the re-construction of Highway 148 between Maple and Terry Fox is underway and is welcomed. The work promises to take the dangers and disrepair out of this section of road. Hopefully turn-off lanes will be part of the reconstruction. Hopefully there will be better policing of speed infractions here too, as the new highway will be a temptation to those in a hurry.
While this much needed work is being done, the unofficial detour comprised of Maple to Terry Fox provides an alternative route bypassing the ruts and dust and waiting times at the construction zone. The onus has fallen on the Municipality of Pontiac to grade and lay calcium on this alternative section. Because it often saves time, this section of road is incurring much heavier traffic than usual.
The Minister of Transport of Quebec should be assisting the municipality for the extra thousands of dollars of costs involved in maintaining this detour as it benefits all Pontiacers using it.

Carl Hager
Pontiac, Que.