Prince Edward County may soon see light at the end of a very dark tunnel called County Road 49.

Municipal staff have found a $20 million funding window to bring the provincial and federal governments together on a proposal to fix the cracked, crumbling and potholed 18-kilometre stretch of concrete roadway that (barely) connects the town of Picton to the Skyway bridge. 

Ontario’s Housing-Enabling Core Services Fund (HECSF) is for road and bridge infrastructure projects which enable new housing. 

The County’s position is the rehabilitation of the roadway will enable more than 2,000 housing units in and around Picton over the next 10 to 15 years.

The County has applied for $20 million, and has in addition over $7 million in internal funds. The crux of the proposal is where Picton Main Street becomes 49. The third and final phase of the Main Street rehabilitation project will become the first phase of fixing 49 — if the province delivers, and the federal government chips in another third.

There are a lot of moving parts. Approvals need to happen between now and January, when the funds will be awarded. CAO Marcia Wallace is making cases to both Mary Ng, Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development of Canada, and Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities of Canada, citing both the Parrish & Heimbecker expansion at Picton Terminals and development in Picton as prime reasons one or both Ministries could commit federal funding.

Meanwhile, Council asks residents, businesses, developers, commuters and everyone travelling County Road 49 to reach out to Bay of Quinte MPP Tyler Allsopp and MP Ryan Williams and demand improvements.

If the County is successful on the provincial grant but not the federal part, Council will have to return the HECSF money and start over. 

For the first time since the province handed the County $50 million in required infrastructure repair work, there’s a hope of action on one of the worst roads in Ontario.

Getting Creative

CAO Wallace credits staff for finding the HECSF and determining there are both housing development projects in the works that are served by 49, and civic addresses within the final phase of the Main Street rehabilitation project. 

This section of roadway was described as the “urban section” of County Road 49 in Ms. Wallace’s report to Council.

“Our application fits quite nicely within the program requirements for the latest call for funding,” she noted, adding municipalities are starved for provincial infrastructure funds. “If we are successful provincially, we are in a better place to lobby federally. We will have both provincial and municipal funds in place.”

“We are in a good place but there’s still a lot of work to be done to make this plan work.”

Councillors noted this was a creative, outside-the-box plan. Councillor Sam Branderhorst invoked past Mayor Robert Quaiff’s legendary delivery of chunks of 49 to Queen’s Park. She offered to pick up a few more pieces of 49 and carpool east to the House of Commons.

“I guess we have a new place to go to deliver our message — and I’m driving.”

The Federal Question

The total cost to rehabilitate County Road 49, including the part known as the phase 3 reconstruction of Picton Main Street, is $52.3 million. Provincial funding from the Housing-Enabling Core Services Fund of $20 million would contribute almost 40 percent of the total. The Municipal portion (62 per cent) includes the $7.8 million already earmarked for the urban section. That leaves $24.5 million outstanding, which the municipality would need to fund through federal government sources and/or private sector partners. 

CAO Wallace said senior staff would not recommend moving forward without clear language from the Federal Government, even its provincial funding bid is successful

“One level has always said if the other level is in, we are in,” Ms. Wallace said. “Well, here we have a clear path forward and this is the type of project the province wants to fund,” she said.