The province is moving forward with a major project to widen a stretch of Highway 17 between Arnprior and Renfrew, a development that drivers say they’re glad to see. It’s a stretch of road that many drivers say can be quite dangerous and they’re happy to see some movement from the Ontario government to address safety concerns. The province is now accepting proposals to design the expansion, which would see the rural highway upgraded from two to four lanes. Robert Bartly drives the route quite often and is thrilled to hear about the planned expansion. “I think it’s about seven or eight years overdue,” said Bartly. “It’s about time. It’s a busy, busy highway and I drive a lot to Renfrew so it’s going to be personally a benefit to me.” The expansion will cover 22.5 kilometres between Scheel Drive in Arnprior and west of Bruce Street in Renfrew. The stretch of highway has been the site of many crashes over the years. “There have been a number of fatalities. There have been a number of issues,” said Lisa McGee, Arnprior’s mayor. “Beyond the fatalities and number of collisions that have been a direct result of this stretch and with growing populations, it has almost become inevitable that there would be an increase in some of these issues.” The province first announced the project in 2019 as part of a ten-year project with work being completed in phases. “My understanding is that we shouldn’t be too excited about it starting tomorrow or even soon because it’s going to be a multi-year project,” McGee said. “I wouldn’t expect that it will be starting even within a year or two, but I have not heard it an exact timeline.” Despite the long-term plan, drivers are still happy about what’s to come. “We have a couple of people in our family who visit the Renfrew Hospital so it’s going to be wonderful,” said Bartly. This is the second phase of the project with the first phase being completed in 2023 with a new bridge and interchange at Highway 17 and Calabogie Road.
