The Ontario government is investing $2,261,059 to help Sault Ste. Marie with the resurfacing of Trunk/Black Road from South Market Street to Black Road at Railway Crossing.
The funding is being delivered through the Connecting Links program and is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario by getting shovels in the ground on roads and bridges
that support the movement of goods, connect people to jobs and spur economic growth.
“For years the previous Liberal government failed to provide funding to expand Black Road. After our government was formed in 2018, we not only secured the maximum funding permitted under the Connecting Links fund of $3 million to complete that project, but in the following year, we again secured the maximum $3 million to resurface a large portion of Trunk Road as well.” Said Ross Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie. Today I am so proud to announce that our City applied for $2.2 million in funding to complete the resurfacing of Trunk Road and that application has been granted. Our roads are in serious need of repair all over Sault Ste. Marie and our government is ensuring that we are doing our part to ensure these provincial connecting links are properly maintained and repaired.”
This year, the government will provide $30 million to support 16 Connecting Links
projects across the province. The funding covers up to 90 per cent of eligible project costs up to a maximum of $3 million for road projects and up to $5 million for bridge projects.
Eligible costs include the design, construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of
municipal roads and bridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway through a
community or to a border crossing.
“Millions of Ontarians depend on municipal roads and bridges each day to get where they need to go and that is why our government is providing municipalities with the funding they need to maintain local infrastructure,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “We’re building a transportation system across the province that supports the safe movement of people and goods, while creating jobs and promoting economic growth in local communities.”
“Municipalities face significant infrastructure challenges related to roads – which continue to
become increasingly precarious as a result the impacts of climate change – and support from
our government partners is needed to move forward projects to address these challenges,” said Christian Provenzano, Mayor of Sault Ste. Marie. “I want to recognize and thank the
Government of Ontario for contributing to the resurfacing of an important stretch of municipal roadway in Sault Ste. Marie. These funds will be put to good use.”
Eligible municipalities are invited to apply for the 2023-24 Connecting Links Program, which will be open to applications later this year.
Watch the mayor try to steal that money for his down town plaza.
Just think how much roads could be done with the 8.5 million the Mayor wants to spend on a downtown plaza that the majority of city taxpayers “DON’T” want
8.5 million would take care of about 2% of the roads. Yes, that’s how bad they have been neglected. Regardless, you can expect this contract to be awarded and go forward as the mayor will have it no other way. In the mean time we will have to continue to deal with roads that look like they have been carpet bombed and try to maneuver on them as if in a war zone.
Good thing Romano got us some money since Provenzano spent the 3 million on his forced downtown plaza legacy and ignored the horrible roads.
Will be voting Doug Ford!
The province should make it illegal for projects funded by the public to use substandard materials. This would include asphalt with additives such as used engine oil. This is one reason why asphalt bond fails extremely prematurely.
Short of this, city council and the bureaucrats at city hall should ensure the asphalt quality, testing it as other Ontario municipalities do. Stop taking the lowest bid for a garbage product.
See:
Bad asphalt is paving the way for disaster, says researcher
May 7, 2015 !!!
https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/industry-news/transportation/bad-asphalt-is-paving-the-way-for-disaster-says-researcher-371211
Try heading up Gore Street and turning left onto Wellington….it is just a maze of huge potholes.
There and a thousand other places that are as bad, some much much worse.
What about the rest of the 4×4 city that needs resurfacing
Before you spend that money and resurface AGAIN!!!, Find a product that is going to last more than 30 days throwing good money after bad is ridiculous and we’ll get us nowhere.
In years past roads used to last a few winters before producing the odd pothole. Stop the bleeding with bandaids please.
JackieMJ, have you been down 3rd Line east by the hospital down to Black Rd?
They just finished paving that last fall and it has potholes already! I know it still needs a top coat but still! Finished layer or not, a brand new road should NOT have holes in it!
Unfortunately they won’t be spending any money for resurfacing anything unless it comes from the government because they don’t have any, it was all squandered in other ways. Ways that the taxpayers don’t necessarily approve of.
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