Turns out the cost of fixing the 17 km of County Road 49 that runs south of the Skyway Bridge won’t be as expensive as projected. 

Council unanimously approved a construction tender for $18.7 million to rubblize and re-pave the roadway. Estimates from 2021 had suggested this portion of the rehabilitation project would cost almost $23 million. 

The winning bid came from R.W. Tomlinson. Other bids were $21.7 million from GIP Paving Inc., and $20.5 million by Drew Harrison Haulage.

Contracted work involves removing, disposing, and replacing drainage culverts, removing and replacing guiderail systems, earth ditching, rubblizing the existing concrete surface, excavation and grading, granular base placement, fibre reinforced hot mix asphalt paving, pavement markings, and site restorations.

In 2021 Jewell Engineering estimated the work at $22.8 million, a ballpark figure that didn’t include a 25 percent provincially mandated contingency fund or potential soil remediation.

Over the last four years, County staff updated their project estimate to $32 million.

One of the issues was sourcing rubblizing machinery. But specialized heavy construction vehicles, designed to shatter existing concrete road pavements into small, tightly interlocked pieces, are now more common. 

“The timing of the tender release, the opportunity to complete portions of the work during the 2026 construction season, and the opportunity to undertake all concrete rubblization within a single season, may have contributed to the highly competitive pricing received for this rehabilitation project,” Engineer David MacPherson noted in his report.

Tomlison expects to complete sub-drain installation, culvert replacements, box culvert waterproofing, concrete rubblization, and the initial 19 mm asphalt lift by the end of this year’s construction season. 

The highway will re-open by spring 2028.

Mr. MacPherson stressed that a minimum of one lane of alternating traffic will be maintained throughout the project.

With 49 taken off the municipality’s plate, Sophiasburgh Councillor Bill Roberts is trying to move County Road 15 onto the agenda. The Northport-Demorestville bypass has seen an increase in heavy truck traffic as motorists avoid 49.

“Nobody can be happier than me that 49 is about to be solved, but over the last four years, the condition of County Road 15 has become severe,” he noted. “15 was never built to endure that kind of heavy traffic.”

Opened in 1966 as a provincial highway, County Road 49 spans 18.4 kilometres, of which 17.3 kilometres are concrete pavement. Since being downloaded to the municipality in 1998, the County has struggled to keep up maintenance, and spends upwards of $175,000 a year on temporary patch fixes. The road consistently ranks among CAA’s top ten worst roads in Ontario.

After decades of campaigning by multiple councils, the Province of Ontario finally agreed to cover the rehabilitation costs for County Road 49. On March 19, the Ministry of Transportation earmarked up to $44.5 million for the project. That amount incorporates a municipal contribution of $7.8 million for the urban section of the corridor where Picton Main Street transitions to County Road 49.

Outlet River Bridge

In other infrastructure news, Council awarded a $1.225 million tender to Safa Builders & Contractors for the rehabilitation of the Outlet River Bridge on County Road 18. The bid was the second lowest received; references for work completed by the lowest bidder were unsatisfactory.

The lowest bidder, whose name was redacted in the County’s report, submitted a bid of $891,000.

The majority of the work on the Outlet River Bridge is expected to be completed by December 1. A  minimum of one lane of alternating traffic will be maintained throughout construction.