by Kyle Reid
Essex County Council approved over $2 million dollars worth of road rehabilitation and shoulder paving for the County during the Wednesday, April 3 regular meeting.
The planned projects include road rehabilitation for North Malden Road, from Hyland Road to County Road 15, in the Town of Essex. The Town has agreed to cover 100 percent of the cost for their portion of the 2.5-kilometre rehabilitation project.
County engineers originally estimated the total project costs at approximately $1.9 million. Jane Mustac, Manager of Transportation and Planning for the County, noted the cost for the paved shoulders was higher than originally anticipated. With the Town of Essex covering their portion of the costs, however, the total cost to the County came in under the total estimate.
“We feel that we can save costs once the asphalt comes down,” Mustac also noted during the meeting.
The tender, worth a total amount of $2,016120 plus HST, was awarded to the lowest bidder, Coco Paving Inc.
Roads tapped for rehabilitation projects this summer will include County Road 18, from Highway 3 to County Road 29 and from County Road 34 to Graham Side Road. Also included are County Road 20, from County Road 9 to County Road 50; County Road 31, from County Road 20 and County Road 34; County Road 34, from Malden Road to Essex Town Limits, Municipal No. 351 to Municipal No. 521, and County Road 45 to Municipal No. 2170; and County Road 46, from Myers Road to Mullins Drive, and Highway 77 to Rochester Townline.
Along with the planned roadwork, paved shoulder projects will be implemented to County Road 34, from Malden Road to Essex Town Limits, and County Road 45 to Municipal No. 2170.
There is no specific timeline for the potential start date of any planned projects, but Kingsville Deputy Mayor Gord Queen asked County staff to notify residents when any construction begins nearby.
“Make sure that our municipalities know what the schedule is, and make sure our residents know what the schedule is,” Queen said during the meeting. “That’s the biggest complaint we get.”
Council unanimously approved the tender after Queen’s comments.