Oro-Medonte, Essa and Springwater residents encouraged to pipe up about bad roads

Oro-Medonte, Essa and Springwater residents encouraged to pipe up about bad roads

Sometimes there’s a reason not to take the road less travelled.

With the Canadian Automobile Association’s (CAA) Worst Roads campaign kicking off March 23, it’s time for residents in Essa, Oro-Medonte and Springwater townships to speak up about their bumpy rides, says the organization.

“CAA believes Ontario roads shouldn’t be neglected — they’re the arteries we use every day to keep our essential workers and goods and services flowing,” said Tina Wong, CAA’s government relations specialist.

Although people have been encouraged to work from home, Wong said the lighter traffic patterns mean it’s an ideal period for road repair work to begin.

“We think it’s a great time for those works to proceed, and we do this because the province, along with the rest of the country and the rest of world, will return to a new normal once the pandemic is over,” she said. 

For the past seven years, the provincial Ministry of Infrastructure has funnelled funding through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) to help rural and northern communities build and repair roads, bridges, water and wastewater projects.

Repeating last year’s contributions of $516,692 for Essa, $274,539  for Oro-Medonte and $741,961 for Springwater, the 2021 assistance will continue to be allotted for road repairs in each corner of Simcoe County.

In Essa, roads ready for repair this year include the 25th Sideroad, 5th Line north of the 25th Sideroad, 8th Line north of the 20th Sideroad, Scotch Line, Margaret and Elizabeth streets, confirmed Colleen Healey-Dowdall, chief administrative officer for Essa Township.

Springwater communications officer Nicole Audette said the OCIF aid will go toward funding road reconstruction on Patterson Street from Houden Street to Queen Street East in Elmvale. Work will include new sidewalks, an on-street parking area, new road surfacing and drainage improvements, she said.

Oro-Medonte’s communication officer, Jenny Leggett, said it has allocated its OCIF funding to a road rehabilitation project on the 5/6 Sideroad.

If the worst roads in your region aren’t on the list, Wong encourages residents to contact CAA by clicking here to tattle on your township through its Google Maps platform.

“We encourage people to tell us what they’ve perceived in the local areas on their daily commutes on the roads they know the most and know the best, to voice their concerns (about) what they think could use some extra repairs,” she said.

Cheryl Browne, Local Journalism Initiative, Barrie Advance

Published at Mon, 15 Feb 2021 21:15:00 +0000