While Port Colborne councillors wish their neighbouring city the best of luck on its special occasion, councillors want to make it clear that Canal Days won't suffer because of 150th activities.

A report from CAO Robert Heil outlined the Rose City's plans for a bicycle race that would see the East Main tunnel closed on Aug. 3, the busiest day of the city's marine heritage festival. The plan received the cold shoulder from Port Colborne councillors,

Coun. Gary Bruno brought forward a motion that would give Welland planners until July 7 to come up with an alternative route. If they don't Port Colborne will send "strong objections" to the ministry of transportation.

"The 406 is the only four-laned route to Port Colborne," Bruno said. "When one of those lanes is closed it creates chaos. With the amount of traffic expected that day closing the tunnel would be chaotic."

Bruno said a number of visitors to Canal Days are from out of town and are unaware of an alternative route to Port Colborne. He fears closing down the best route to the city would negatively affect Canal Days.

"We don't want to slam the door here," he said. "So we're giving them until July 7 to come back with an alternative or we will send our objections. It's the neighbourly thing to do."

The letter is drafted and sitting on Mayor Vance Badawey's desk. If the city of Welland does not come back with a more appropriate solution the letter will be sent off to the ministry.

What baffles Badawey the most is the lack of planning on the event.

"Welland has had 150 years to plan its 150th birthday and they're coming to us in May with a plan," he said. "It's frustrating that they come to us two months before the event."

Last year, with between 250,000 and 300,000 visitors, Badawey said the 140 was backed up to Forks Road while the 406 was backed up to Woodlawn. Add in a 20-minute delay and visitors will be backed up to Thorold on Hwy. 406 and Welland on the 140. "It's concerning," he said.

"Rest assured this race will not have an impact on the city of Port Colborne on its busiest day of the year," Badawey said. "It will not happen."

The CAO has been instructed to meet with the planners of the road race to come up with an alternative solution. If July 7 comes and no solution is brought forward to Port Colborne council the letter will be signed, sealed and delivered to Jim Bradley, minister of transportation expressing the city's "grave concerns" over the tunnel closure.

Welland council was quick to move in a decision regarding the race Tuesday. A compromise has been worked out with the organizer of the race to change the need to close the tunnel.

New Welland city manager Craig Stirtzinger told Mayor Damian Goulbourne and council that a new proposal, being forwarded to Port Colborne and the Ministry of Transportation, would only close the bridge until 11:30 a.m.

The "rolling closure," as Goulbourne described it, would only close the bridge eight times, for 10 minutes every 20 minutes.

Stirtzinger said Port Colborne officials had been approached about the idea in January. The canal city doesn't want the closure to interfere with its Canal Days event being held at the same time.

"They did not raise red flags at that time," said Stirtzinger.