Cty Road 4 best meets criteria for federal funding grant
Administrator | Apr 12, 2019 | Comments 14
Though several councillors attempted to throw other roads into the ring for contention for five-million dollar federal funding, in the end, they agreed to support the project municipal staff felt would best meet grant eligibility requirements.
Council approved filing for an Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program grant at Thursday’s Committee of the Whole Meeting for work on County Road 4 from the Millennium Trail and Talbot Street to Highway 62. The project includes a bridge on County Road 4 near the Hwy 62 intersection that is in poor condition.
Director of Community Development and Strategic Initiatives Neil Carbone said staff recommended choosing that project over work at Closson Road and County Road 2 because it best fit the grant’s eligibility criteria.
Key factors included a high traffic count of more than 4,000 vehicles a day, the deterioration of the bridge and the number of accidents along County Road 4. The work has a projected cost of $8.8 million, which means the County would cover the balance, at approximately $4.6 (including the 16.67 per cent municipal share of $833,350).
Closson Road work is in the capital plan for reconstruction in 2022 at a cost of approximately $2.75 million. Combined with a $1.5 million project on County Road 2, set for 2021, the total project would approach the $5 million maximum for the grant with a municipal contribution of $708,475.
Carbone noted Closson and County Road 2 see considerable cycling traffic, which is considered important in the technical schedule for the funding, but there have been fewer collisions and much lower traffic counts, which are important eligibility factors.
“There are other roads that have stronger needs on their own, but they might not have qualified as well for the actual grant. We have to look at what this grant was trying to achieve and tailor our application accordingly.”
The County has until May 14 to apply for the grant.
Filed Under: Local News
Hwy 33 doesn’t take anyone to Belleville.
Council changed its mind last night and decided to go with Closson Road.
Fortunately County residents have an alternate route with the two pristine provincial highways 33 and 62 to get them to Belleville. Closson Road is a disgrace, certainly much more worthy of being on CAA’s Worst Road list. Although the list is pointless since Money Fairies don’t come along and shower us with funds to repair it if we have a road on top of the list.
The annual CAA online survey for worst roads in Ontario is going until Friday. We need to keep County Road 49 up there again.
I agree Closson is bad , but County folks geting to work in Belleville so they can make a living and pay our extreme taxes makes Cty Rd 4 head and shoulders a priority over winery tourism.
I drove on Closson road this afternoon to visit some wineries. Wow. I couldn’t believe how bad that road has become over the winter. At some points the road is down to one lane. Pavement is broken, the road edges are gone and potholes out number actual road surfaces. This road needs to be rebuilt before someone gets seriously hurt. I will not be on that road gain. And I like the wineries located on the “road” too.
How would Fairfield and Hill St proposed reconstruction ever trump Barker St ? Council should drive Barker from the westerly end off of Downes to the end at Johnson. Something is amiss here.
It is pretty hard to dispute the need for County Rd 4 reconstruction as one of the major routes for commuters. Also an opportunity to create a much safer intersection at Cty Rd 34.
It seems the point here is that the resident tax payors are on the same page and all want the same thing – equal and fair treatment. Whether it’s a county road or a highway, the issues are the same. There needs to be greater attention given to the most needed roads, the ones tax payors flip the bill for. I agree with K.B. that the focus should be on WHY these areas are receiving priority funding for repair. Is it to better accommodate the development strategy? We can all name many roads that are deteriorating but why are these ones priority?
Loyalist PWY has nothing to do with County roads as it is Provincial.
Interesting that Talbot St and Loyalist Parkway roads are getting this kind of attention for roads repair. One might view that it’s connected to the development that’s going on at those locations. Is this to satisfy the needs of the developers and accommodate the new homeowners? Do only developed areas receive this type of roads repair? Doesn’t make sense – yes Talbot needs repair, but not Loyalist Parkway.
Locals getting to work in Bellville on Cty Rd 4 to make a living and pay taxes trumps Closson Rd tourism, No brainer!
Cty Rd 4 is the major route for County residents to get to work in Belleville.
Anyone who knows about Closson road avoids it at all times which may explain why the traffic count and accident numbers are so low.