The province’s largest public sector union says they’ve been told that expansion of the divided highway shouldn’t require greater resources to keep clear in the winter months.

NAPE President Jerry Earle was responding to questions surrounding plans to add two new sections of divided highway to the TCH – in the area of Chance Cove, and between Bishop’s Falls and Grand Falls-Windsor.

The union says they’ve been assured by Transportation Minister Fred Hutton that public sector worker will still be relied upon to maintain the new sections of road.

As for whether or not more resources will be needed, Earle says he’s been told that isn’t an issue.

“What we rely on is the people that do this type of work, they’re the greatest experts, they’re telling us that twinning of the highway won’t add a significant amount that they’ll need probably an additional plow, because normally there’s a schedule that’s done…and there’s an X amount of equipment that goes out…whether it’s a twinned highway or a singular highway, especially in cases of the Trans Canada.”

He says more often than not, when drivers notice that certain areas of the highway are not plowed, it comes down to equipment maintenance issues.