More than six years after the opening of the Red Hill Valley Parkway, Hamilton councillor and mayoral candidate Brian McHattie still refuses to drive on it.

McHattie, who officially launches his mayoral campaign Tuesday, says it's a matter of principle.

"It's just one of those things that you kind of draw a line in the sand for yourself and the beliefs you have and (it's) one way to demonstrate those beliefs, I guess."

McHattie opposed the building of the $225-million project for environmental and fiscal reasons.

How his ideological stance will play during the mayoral race remains to be seen, but he isn't blinking.

"I've said I'm never going to go on it and I've been successful so far."

"That continues to be the case."

The eight-kilometre highway, which required rerouting the Red Hill Creek, has been the source of controversy for decades.

It's used by up to 70,000 vehicles a day and is credited with being an economic magnet for commercial and industrial development and blamed for saddling taxpayers will millions of dollars of debt.

It costs Hamiltonians about $8 million a year to service the loan to build the road. But by 2012 it was already generating more than $14 million a year in property taxes — with many more predicted — thanks to businesses that opened because of it.

It's also the subject of the city's long-running $75-million lawsuit against Ottawa for allegedly conspiring to use an environmental assessment to delay the road.

McHattie's motion to drop the lawsuit — which has cost an estimated $2 million in legal bills — goes before councillors Monday. He argues that both the cost and the risk of souring relations with the federal government are not worth it.

"I think the whole thing was misguided from the beginning."

Part of McHattie's rationale for dropping the case doesn't quite square with his refusal to drive on the road: He thinks it's time for Hamilton to get over the controversy.

"I'd hoped that we'd put it behind us. The expressway has been built and we put that behind us and moved on, and this has kept it in front of us for a decade since it first began. I think that's unfortunate."

Prior to councillors voting on the motion, they're expected to get a closed door update and advice from David Estrin, the city's outside lawyer.

McHattie is straining to keep his mind "the smallest little bit" open, but says Estrin will have to provide some "pretty significant" information to change his vote.

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It's not at all certain how that vote will go. In 2008, the last time the idea of dropping the lawsuit was challenged, the motion lost 10-6.

It could be much closer this time, particularly with the death of Ward 3 councillor Bernie Morelli, who strongly supported continuing the lawsuit.

Two former lawsuit supporters are no longer sitting. Councillors Brenda Johnson, who replaced one of them, wants to end the action. And Judi Partridge, who replaced the other, is tipping the same way.

"From my perspective, I'm waiting to hear the current facts in the update coming to councillors; however, I am leaning toward voting against continuing the lawsuit," Partridge said by email.

Councillor Jason Farr, another newbie, is also waiting to hear from Estrin, but he's leaning to staying the course.

A judicial review and appeal ruled the environmental assessment, which added some $36 million to the project's cost, should not have been applied. Beyond a quest for payback, some councillors believe sticking to their guns will force the feds to deliver a negotiated compensation package.

On the other hand, there's also a sense there's no point in turning back at this stage.

"We're so deep in the s** t now, we've got to keep going," said councillor (and farmer) Robert Pasuta.

Regardless how the vote goes, one good thing could come out of the meeting for all sides of the debate. McHattie says the up-to-date cost of the lawsuit is expected to be finally revealed on the strength of legal advice from the city solicitor.

- Dropping Red Hill Parkway Valley lawsuit too costly, councillors told