Dek: Premier is long on promises — 18km long

The Premier of Ontario says his government is ready to contribute in a tripartite agreement between the province, the Government of Canada, and the County of Prince Edward on a $30 million rehabilitation project for County Road 49.

Reminded that the Skyway Bridge rehabilitation, which ended up at double the estimated cost of a Highway 49 fix, the Premier agreed the 18km of concrete roadway should come next.

“There’s a lot of history behind 49 and I’ll say it right now— If the feds get on board, we will be on board,” said the Premier. “They pitch in money, we will pitch in money, the County can pitch in some money, we are ready to go.”

“The next challenge is to get the federal government to give us some infrastructure money that’s desperately needed not only here but around Ontario.”

Bay of Quinte MP Ryan Williams said he continues to push for federal action on the proposed rehabilitation project.

“County Road 49 should be prioritized, and we are actively advocating for all levels of government to collaborate in making it a primary concern,” said the MP.

“This road is an important feeder to Prince Edward County’s tourism hub and industrial area, as well as it is an essential route for the residents of this area.”

Premier Doug Ford was in Prince Edward County earlier this month to announce an $18.3 million investment Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund grant. Premier Ford and Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma touted a number of targeted provincial projects in the region. They include a $1.6 million road and sidewalk improvement project in Quinte West and the new state-of-the-art $153 million Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital build. The Skyway Bridge just underwent a five year, $63 million rehabilitation project.

Minister Surma said that in order to keep pace with the province’s fast growing population, the Government of Ontario must maintain and expand infrastructure “to protect Ontario’s world class standard of living.” Premier Ford said the latest round of infrastructure programs were the most ambitious community building investments ever undertaken by a province in Canadian history.

“Unlike previous governments who didn’t plan for the future, we’ve embarked on the largest capital expansion in the country’s history to support growth in communities across Ontario,” Premier Ford said.

A Point of Pride

Commissioned by the Province, Highway 49 was constructed in 1965 by local men of the H.J McFarland Construction Company. They used cement from nearby Lake Ontario Cement to form a reinforced concrete road that looked as though it would stand the test of time. The new highway connected Picton to Highway 401 and the rest of the province when the Skyway Bridge was completed in 1967.

And for nearly three decades, it did. Even into the early 1990’s, the roadway held up. The expansion grooves helped negate damage from the freeze/thaw cycles in the winter.

But just about when the steel rebar started to show itself and the concrete began to crumble, the highway was downloaded by to the residents of Prince Edward County by Premier Mike Harris.

On Jan. 1, 1998, 49 became a municipal responsibility and was transferred along with a pittance of $3 million to offset any future maintenance costs.

In the early 2000’s, Council attempted to give the road and the money back to the province, knowing full well it had been handed a white elephant. Today, the cost of fixing 49 is way beyond local taxpayers. The County spends over annually $200,000 just to temporarily patch gaping cracks and potholes. It has a perennial home on the CAA’s Top Ten Worst roads in Canada. Local commuters either drive circuitous routes around 49, costing them fuel and time or brave the road and pay for expensive car repairs later.