| Jan 17, 2008


Feature Article - January 17, 2008.class { BORDER-RIGHT: black 1pt solid; BORDER-TOP: #000 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: black 1pt solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: black 1pt solid } .class1 { BORDER-RIGHT: #9f5128 1pt solid; BORDER-TOP: #9f5128 1pt solid; BORDER-LEFT: #9f5128 1pt solid; BORDER-BOTTOM: #9f5128 1pt solid } .class2 { FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: #666 }

Back toHome

Feature Article - January 17 2008 Five year roads plan well received by Jeff Green

It was quite a send off for South Frontenac Public Works Manager Bill Blum.

First there were sandwiches and cake to celebrate his last day on the job before retirement, and then his proposals for a five-year paving program, a three-year bridge construction schedule, and a ten-year road upgrading plan for Bedford District received universal approval from what is normally a combative group of councilors.

“The game is fair and the plan is already there. If we can’t buy this deal we aren’t going to buy anything,” said Mayor Gary Davison after Blum had completed his presentation.

The road paving plan was broken down by district, since roads are paid for in separate district budgets in South Frontenac, although Blum pointed out that if the township amalgamates its roads budgets in a year’s time, it would make very little difference to the tax rates paid in each of the four districts.

Portland District can maintain its 132 km of paved roads at a cost of $460,000 each year for the next five years.

In Storrington, with 112 km of paved roads, the cost will $522,000 per year.

In Loughborough, with 82 km of road, it will cost only $150,000 to keep the highest paved road standards in the township

Finally, Bedford District can keep its 10 km of paved roads in good shape for $80,000 each year.

For former Frontenac County roads and Road 38, which are the responsibility of the whole township, about 190 km, it will cost about $$,275,000 each year to keep the roads up to snuff.

Bill Blum also presented a 10-year plan to pave some of the major roads in Bedford District, including Canoe Lake Road, Bauder Road, White Lake Road, and parts of Green Bay and Devil Lake Roads.

“Between maintenance and construction, Bedford spends about $300,000 each year on roads. If there is a commitment to doubling that, to $600,000, this paving can be done over 10 years. Each $100,000 will cost the average taxpayer in Bedford $32, so the whole thing would mean an increase of $100 for the average household,” Blum said.

He also proposed budgeting $175,000 in 2008 for some relatively small bridge repairs on Desert Lake Road, Buck Bay Road, Bobs Lake Road, 12th Concession, and Opinicon and McGillvary roads.

Major bridge work on the Perth Road Loughborough Lake Bridge, which will cost $836,000, and the Perth Road Bear Creek Culvert, at a cost of $220,000 is proposed for 2009 and 2010. This will cost about $500,000 each year.

“Until now, each district has done bits and pieces each year, but with this information and this plan, the money can be set aside. It will be relatively easy each year to determine which roads need to be done, and we can guarantee that the roads will stay at the level they are now, which is pretty good,” Bill Blum concluded.

Support local
independant journalism by becoming a patron of the Frontenac News.