Mayor pleas with feds for funding for 49; before provincial money dies at deadline

Prince Edward County Mayor Steve Ferguson continues his pleas to the federal government to help finance reconstruction of County Road 49 – before a missed deadline kills provincial funding already in place.

Most important, he stressed, is that federal funding be secured well in advance of the September 30, 2026 deadline to award contracts. If not, the County will lose the $19.3 million provincial funding. That deadline, he states, is firm and “we cannot proceed to tender until full project funding is confirmed.”

Originally constructed in 1966, the road spans 18.4kms, of which 17.5 kms is concrete pavement. The road connects Picton with the Bay of Quinte Skyway Bridge and responsibility of it was downloaded from the province in 1998. The road is travelled by about 6,000 vehicles daily, including a significant volume of heavy commercial traffic. It suffers from severe structural failures, posing safety risks and increasing maintenance costs.

Mayors and councillors going back many years have lobbied for support rehabilitating County Road 49. The municipality also tried – more than once – to return the road to the province due to the costs to attempt to maintain it (approximately $182,000 annually).

Further to his letter in May 2025, he followed up in July with Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade, adding technical details and reiterating the urgency of funding.

“The County has completed all necessary studies and design work, making this a shovel-ready project. In 2024 we secured a $20 million conditional commitment from the province of Ontario… the County has also committed $7.8 million. However, a $24.5 million funding gap remains,” stated Ferguson.

His letter in part, (shared in council minutes Tuesday night) below:

“As outlined in my previous correspondence, the economic rationale for this project is clear. However, the technical requirements are equally critical. County Road 49 is constructed of concrete – a material used in only 5% of paved roads across North America. Consequently, the specialized equipment and expertise required for its rehabilitation are both limited and in high demand.

The proposed method for reconstruction is concrete rubblization, a cost~effective and environmentally responsible process that reuses the existing concrete as a base layer. This technique significantly reduces the need for new aggregate, minimizes landfill waste, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the need for material haulage. Notably, an Ontario construction industry coalition is currently advocating for mandatory use of recycled concrete in public infrastructure projects.

There are only two types of rubblization equipment available in North America: the Resonant Frequency Breaker (manufactured by RMI) and the Multi—headBreaker (manufactured by Antigo). Due to the specific technical characteristics of County Road 49 — including pavement thickness, reinforcement, and base condition – our engineering team has determined that only the RMI Resonant Frequency Breaker is suitable for this project.

This machine can process approximately 6,000 m2per day. Given that County Road 49 spans approximately 130,000 m2 (17.5 kms), rubblization alone will require an estimated 22 days to complete. It is also much quicker, quieter and less disruptive to this vital economic corridor than traditional removal methods. However, no such equipment or operators are based in Canada. Only a few specialized U.S. firms possess the necessary machinery and expertise, meaning a Canadian general contractor will need to subcontract this work to a U.S. based firm.

This scarcity brings a significant risk. Any delay in securing the equipment could jeopardize our ability to meet the conditions of our $19.3 million provincial grant, which requires that contracts be awarded by Sept. 30, 2026, and that the project be completed by March 31, 2028. These deadlines are firm, and we cannot proceed to tender until full project funding is confirmed.

Without a timely commitment from the federal government, we risk losing this vital provincial funding. I must therefore underscore the urgency of our request. Federal funding must be secured well in advance of the September 2026 deadline to allow for tendering, contractor mobilization, and coordination with the limited availability of the RMI equipment.

I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to your support in ensuring this critical infrastructure project can proceed without delay. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further and provide any additional information your office may require.”