NDP MPPs Burch and Gates respond to the latest update on the Thorold tunnel

NDP municipal affairs critic Jeff Burch MPP (Niagara Centre) and Wayne Gates MPP (Niagara Falls) have responded to the announcement by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) that the Thorold tunnel will now remain open for two-way traffic, after both MPPs raised this issue with the Minister at the Ontario legislature.

“I’m glad to hear from the City of Thorold and the MTO that they followed our suggestion and had a productive meeting regarding the issues with the Thorold tunnel, with a solution on the way. It’s unfortunate that the situation had to come to this, but I’m thankful that the Niagara Region and the City of Thorold were able to present solutions that would maintain the current two-way configuration of traffic”, said Burch.

“This is great news for the 24,300 vehicles that use the tunnel daily. It is my hope that expedient communication and collaboration between the MTO and local governments will be a priority going forward,” added Burch.

“I’m happy to see that the work of the cities, region, and local MPPs were able to convince the Ministry of Transportation to find a solution to this issue. I hope this level of communication can continue. This will be a benefit to the thousands of residents and businesses that need access to the tunnel on a daily basis,” said Gates.