Tara Kearsey
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 02/00) - Politicians from both ends of Highway 3 say reducing the speed limit is no way to fix what's wrong with the road.

North Slave MLA Leon Lafferty and Yellowknife city councillor Cheryl Best say changing the speed limit to 80 kilometres per hour does not address the real problem with the highway.

The speed limit was reduced from 90 km/h on Sept. 18 as the government's response to safety concerns.

Lafferty and Best say the real solution is to fix the road.

About 140 residents of Rae-Edzo have signed a petition requesting the speed limit be reinstated to 90 kilometres per hour.

Their MLA, Lafferty, is concerned about the road conditions as well. He criticized the Department of Transportation for reducing the speed limit, stating it is only necessary when the roads are slippery.

"Even in communities with speed limits of 30 kilometres per hour, the road deteriorates unless regular maintenance is done," he wrote in a news release.

And as much as the condition of the highway is causing frustration among area drivers, it's giving the NWT a bad name and hurting tourism.

Recently, Best said a friend in Edmonton attempted to rent a recreational vehicle to drive to Yellowknife, but was refused by the dealer because of the probability of vehicle damage when driving in the NWT.

"This is a terrible way to welcome tourists to the North," she said.

"Our highway into town is like a big sign that says we're out of business."

She said lowering the speed limit does very little to ease the frustration and danger of driving on the gravelled highway.

The lack of action by the territorial government has led Best to encourage council to go directly to Ottawa to demand the paving of Highway 3.

The federal government recently announced a $1 billion Highway Infrastructure Program, and she said the city has to ensure Highway 3 will get its share of the federaal money.

"We have to make sure that Yellowknife is connected to the rest of Canada by major highway; not 13 years for now like the Department of Transportation is quoting, but right now."

Lafferty did not return calls to News/North by deadline.