Sand and Gravel Operators in Sault Ste Marie - Essay Example

. The rest are smaller highways that keep on connecting to other locations proving a longer journey to the South of Ontario from Sault Ste. Marie. Since this highway is overly used, heavy trucks cannot pass regularly to avoid damaging it and it is even still under deconstruction.

Other than there being limited roads to the South of Ontario, the other reason that trucks cannot haul sand and gravel from Sault Ste. Marie to go and sell in southern Ontario is the impassability of the road due to the weather. During winter, the roads including even Highway 11 are impassable and in most cases, trucks frequently cause accidents, and the roads, therefore, keep on being closed. The accidents make the local government ban using trucks that are heavily loaded to travel during this entire winter period which therefore leaves no choice for the sand and grain harvesters than to sell their products within their own city of Sault Ste. Marie.

With the roads to South Ontario frequently under construction to either expand them or to repair damages that are constantly brought about by truck accidents and bad weather, trucks that are heavy cannot pass through as they will cause further damage to the already damaged roads. Other trucks ferrying lighter products do not pose much danger and can therefore pass. If the direct route is not accessible, the only other solution is to use the connecting roads until they reach South Ontario which in the end takes up a lot of time and costs and hence even if the market may be higher there, the costs of traveling become almost the same with selling the products locally (Goodwin 292).

What conditions are likely to make it possible for sand and gravel products from the Sault Ste. Marie region to be sold routinely in the Southern Ontario market?

The roads to Southern Ontario Market can be fully constructed once and for all instead of just keeping on repairing them. Once finished, then the heavy trucks carrying sand and gravel can be able to pass and ferry the products to the market where the owners can earn more. This would only provide temporary relief however since when the weather is bad, these roads will be closed as a result of excessive snow and low visibility.

The other solution would be to develop the railway system to run smoothly from Sault Ste. Marie to the Southern Ontario market or near the market. The train carriages will be able to carry a lot of sand and gravel at once at lower costs than those used by the hauling trucks. The owners will therefore be able to incur more profit than when they sell their products only in Sault Ste. Marie or even trying to travel to the South Ontario market through trucks (Brown 96). This however may be a slow way but it is way cheaper and safer than using the road and especially during the winter season when roads are impassable.