Take it back

Council resolution asks province to take responsibility for crumbling artery

The message from Councillor Chris Braney was clear and concise at last Tuesday’s council meeting. “Enough is enough. Premier Doug Ford, take back County Road 49.”

He was speaking about the 1998 gift from the provincial government that keeps on taking. The road is a ribbon of deteriorating concrete that links the County to Highway 401. It was built in 1966 and transferred to the municipality during amalgamation in 1998. At that time, the road was nearing the end of its design life, and the province provided a small sum of money for its upkeep. The municipal government of the day knew it was not going to be enough, and in 2002, they tried to return the road to the province.

Despite constant repair, averaging $3,500 per week, the road continues to worsen. The road is one of the busiest entry points to the County, with an average of 6,000 vehicles daily, including approximately 300 heavy transport trucks.

“This 18.6-kilometre concrete road serves as a vital lifeline for our community,” said Braney. “This is not merely a matter of infrastructure. It is a matter of ensuring the safety, accessibility and economic viability of our community.”

of our community.” In March, the Ontario government announced it would take over Highway 174, more than 25 years after the road in Ottawa’s east end was downloaded to the municipality. Braney’s resolution calls on Premier Doug Ford to meet with County officials to transfer County Road 49 back to the province.

“We must recognize the PEC faces significant infrastructure challenges due to ageing assets and competing priorities. Our small population of 26,000, coupled with the fact that one per cent of our tax levy generates less than $500,000 in revenue, makes large-scale infrastructure investments, such as the rehabilitation of County Road 49 particularly challenging,” said Braney.

Councillor Bill Roberts has advocated for significant action on County Road 49 since 2014.

“I applaud Councillor Braney’s initiative that takes us beyond mostly begging-bowl-conference- asks and photo ops, to actually requesting a real working meeting with the Premier to finally resolve this long overdue matter,” said Roberts.

Mayor Steve Ferguson told Council that he spoke with representatives from CAA at the recent Good Roads Conference held in Toronto. “County Road 49 is always on the list, and I showed them this resolution, and they are willing to advocate on our behalf with the province,” he said.

According to County Operations staff, the road surface is in generally poor condition. There are joint and slab failures, as well as severe cracking. While some sections appear unbroken, the surface has become polished due to constant traffic. Maintenance crews assess and repair the surface weekly, at a minimum, as weather conditions allow.