NORTH BAY, Ont. — Ontario’s Transportation Minister, Norm Sterling, was in the North Bay area yesterday to officially open a new four-lane section of Hwy. 11.

The southbound lanes of the section, known as the Trout Creek Bypass, was opened nearly a year ahead of schedule. The northbound lanes will be opened in two weeks.

“Our government is fulfilling a commitment we made to implement an aggressive schedule to widen this key corridor and support the safe and efficient movement of people and goods in Northern Ontario,” says Sterling. “We will continue to push forward to four-lane Hwy. 11 the entire distance between Huntsville and North Bay.”

The four-laned stretch consists of seven kilometres and five new bridges while interchanges have been added at the north and south ends of the bypass. The project cost $60 million in total.