He said by posting signs marking Regional Road 24 (Victoria Avenue) as an alternate route, it will not only alleviate traffic on the QEW, but also it will help the fruit industry in Niagara.

"It's cheap. Posting signage requires minimal investment, but I believe the rewards would be huge," he added.

He suggested in a letter to St. Catharines MPP and Ontario Transportation Minister Jim Bradley that the route be clearly marked as a scenic route or a "fresh fruit route" for tourists who might not know it's there.

"For Pete's sake, let's let them see the rest of Niagara," he said. "I couldn't imagine -- for the life of me -- why anyone would disagree with this proposition. Why we haven't done this before just boggles the mind."

Lincoln Mayor Bill Hodgson said he has "significant concerns" with the proposal, which would add to the already large volume of traffic that uses Victoria Avenue.

"When you offload 400-series traffic onto local roads, you understand that there's potential for tie-ups," he added.

Since he had not spoken with Kormos about the proposal, he said he wasn't sure if Kormos is aware of the existing traffic levels on Victoria due to construction vehicles moving materials from just south of Beamsville to the highway construction site in St. Catharines.

"Is it as simple as, 'Well that's an awful beautiful way for people to go.' No. It's not that simple because a lot of the truck traffic from the construction is going to be using Victoria Avenue, particularly during the summer months."

Still, the proposal has its fans.

St. Catharines Regional Coun. Bruce Timms said he thinks it's an "absolutely great idea," adding that he's brought it up at the region before.

He suggested posting more signs throughout the region for different routes -- something that Hodgson said he's is in favour of because bit will balance the traffic that's being diverted from the QEW.

Len Troup of the Ontario Tender Fruit Board said he is staying neutral on the issue.

He said he's skeptical that a new route will alleviate traffic in a substantial way.

"Would it help the traffic flow on the QEW. I don't think we would ever notice it. I just don't know if this proposal would have enough impact to really matter."