Highway opening sparks memories of tragedy.

• Author: Ulrichsen, Heidi
• Position: SUDBURY - Highway 69 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

On Aug. 7,2002, Kelly Henderson and her twin 12-year-old sons, Jordin and Corbin Sauve, lost their lives on Highway 69.

The family was returning home to Sudbury just after 7 p.m., when an oncoming transport truck crossed the centre line at the scurve just south of the turnoff to Killarney, and slammed into their small car.

Ten years and one day after the collision, a 13-kilometre section of four-lane highway stretching between Estaire and a few kilometres south of the turnoff opened to traffic.

While the area where the family died was realigned and bypassed some time ago, it's only been open to two lanes while construction was ongoing. All four lanes are now open to traffic.

The $68.2-million project, awarded to Aecon, included the construction of Ontario's first overhead wildlife crossing bridge, which is expected to reduce animal-vehicle collisions.

Kelly Henderson's brother, Ron Henderson, was on hand at an Aug. 3 press conference, celebrating the opening of the highway.

He explained how his family members' deaths led to lobby efforts to get the province to four-lane Highway 69, something which wasn't even being considered at the time.

"At the funeral, I met an enraged (Sudbury MPP) Rick Bartolucci, who basically told me then he Was sick and tired of going to funerals for family members and losing loved ones on Northern highways, particularly on Highway 69."

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"He told me he was going to set up a lobby group, which we ended up calling Crash 69, to lobby the government of the day to four-lane 69."

The project won't bring back his family members, but Henderson said it's still "gratifying" to know thousands of families will now be able to safely travel on the highway.

Bartolucci said he's glad to see the completion of this particular portion of the highway, as many lives have been lost there.

Beyond the increased safety for motorists, the four-laning will bring economic opportunities to Sudbury.

"The economic opportunities that...