Road repairs urgently needed in King

May 14, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Angela Gismondi
It was a rough winter and emergency road repairs are needed on various roads throughout King Township.
In a report submitted to council at the committee of the whole meeting Monday, engineering and public works staff recommended immediate repairs are needed on Keele Street north of Davis Drive, Collard Drive, 10th Concession south of King Road and Simon Henry Drive. Following spring thaw after the harsh winter, the roads have deteriorated to the point that they are now dangerous for vehicular traffic.
Staff have received a number complaints about the poor condition of the road surface and reports of damage to vehicles due to the potholes. Immediate road work is necessary in order to maintain a safe and functional road network in the Township and to bring the roads up to provincial regulations, staff reported.
The total cost of all the required current emergency works is estimated at $251,161 plus HST, with $200,000 going towards the repairs on the 10th Concession.
In order to fund the repairs, staff suggested the reallocation of existing operational projects from the 2014 budget. Three projects have been identified to be deferred from the operating budget and the funding allocated to support the emergency road repairs – the 17th Sideroad slurry seal ($130,000), Dearbourne surface treatment ($75,000) and crack sealing ($54,000) for a total of $259,000. These works are part of the preventive road maintenance program in the Township which are meant to increase the life of the roads.
Councillors expressed concerns about the impact the cost of the repairs would have on the budget.
“I thought we had reserves for emergencies, why don’t we fund this through reserves?” asked Councillor Debbie Schaefer.
Rob Flindall, director of engineering and public works, explained reserves are an option, but other funding sources could be available. He informed council a further report would be presented outlining all the roads which require emergency work and possible funding opportunities to finance the projects. Flindall said more roads requiring immediate repairs could be added to the list.
Councillor Linda Pabst pointed out that Lloydtown Aurora Road west of Highway 27 has some serious safety concerns.
“It’s treacherous,” she stated.
Mayor Steve Pellegrini said he recognized the importance of fixing the roads but did not want to sacrifice preventative works for other roads in the Township.
“Our intention is that we don’t want to get behind the eight ball in terms of our preventative work,” he said.
Councillor Bill Cober said whatever decision is made, the Township needs to devise a communication strategy to keep residents living on these roads informed.
Council directed staff to proceed with the emergency road repairs on Keele Street north of Davis Drive, Collard Drive, and Simon Henry Drive with an estimated cost of $51,161 based on the quote from Lisbon Paving. Council also decided to proceed with the resurfacing of the 10th Concession as planned. Staff is expected to come back to council with a further report outlining additional works and financing options.