Four year roads plan approved

Phillip Blancher, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
CORNWALL – Nearly 33 kilometres of SDG Counties roads in South Dundas will be resurfaced over the next four years. Counties Council approved the 2023-26 four year roads plan at is December 19 council meeting.

The four year roads plan covers the major rehabilitation plan for SDG’s road network, which has nearly 1,000 km of roads.

South Dundas is the only municipality that has county road work scheduled in each of the next four years, however the bulk of that work is scheduled for the 2025 and 2026 construction seasons.

Starting next spring (2023) five km of County Road 1/Carman Road north of Iroquois to Glen Stewart, and 3.5 km of County Road 18 west from Glen Stewart to the boundary with Edwardsburgh-Cardinal will be resurfaced.

A 3.64 km section of County Road 31 from the Highway 401 interchange to Glen Becker is the only SDG roads work planned for 2024.

Three projects are scheduled for 2025.  County Road 1 between the Highway 401 interchange and the Iroquois Roundabout, and a four km stretch of County Road 2 west of the roundabout will be repaved. County Road 16/Brinston Road  from Dixon’s Corners through Hulbert to the boundary to North Dundas will be resurfaced. Also on the list for 2025 is the eastern two km section of County Road 18 near Archer to the boundary with South Stormont.

County Road 1 north from Hulbert Road to the North Dundas boundary is one of two sections of county road to be repaved in South Dundas in 2026.

A much longer project to resurface County Road 8 from the CR18/8 split north of Hoasic to the North Dundas boundary is also on the roads list for that year.

Outside of South Dundas, SDG’s Transportation Department has significant projects planned for CR 20 through Maxville, CR 15 through Moose Creek, CR18 between Lunenburg and St. Andrews West, CR 43 from Mountain to the North Grenville boundary, and CR 43 from Chesterville to just west of Avonmore.

In all, SDG Counties will average 50 km of work each year. The proposed capital plan will see approximately $10 million spent in 2023. That amount increases to a projected $14 million by 2025, before dropping below $12 million in 2026. Those estimates are adjusted to factor in some inflationary pressures from the past year, which have fluctuated greatly due to global oil prices and supply chain issues for construction materials.

“By understanding what we’re doing not only next year but a couple years ahead that gives the ability to plan and work ahead,” said Director of Transportation Ben deHaan.

Councillor Martin Lang (South Glengarry) said he was uncomfortable with passing a nearly $60 million plan at the first meeting of the term. deHaan reiterated that it is only a plan and that capital projects are still brought to each budget deliberation for consideration.

This article was originally written for The Morrisburg Leader.

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