The MTO is having a change of heart and won’t be shutting down highway 655 this summer.

The ministry had palnned to shut down the highway for 15 days to replace a culvert at Jocko Creek.

Instead, they’ll leave one lane open but work will take longer and won’t start until May 2016.

Kapuskasing Mayor, Al Spacek had said closing the highway would result in bigger costs to the health care sector in shipping patients alone.  He says there are at least two ambulance trips to and from Kapuskasing to Timmins each day and closing the highway woudl cause a longer drive.