The Ontario government is looking to assume control of Gordon Road/Marguerite Street from the City of Dryden.
The proposal in front of Council is part of a planned extension of Highway 502.
The corridor is currently jointly owned by the City and Ministry of Transportation with the provincial portion being administered by a local roads board.
MTO Regional Operations Manager John McClelland says it makes no sense for the board to have control.
“A road that doesn’t serve the LRB’s interests and which the LRB doesn’t pay for. Nevertheless the roads unusual administration remained under the radar until issues with its shared maintenance, the terrible condition of the road and that looming bridge rehabilitation project, all prompted a search for options and a review of its status.”
McClelland notes $400,000 worth of shared road construction costs are needed and the bridge rehabilitation is pegged at roughly $2 million.
He says, “It makes financial sense to move these roads into the provincial highway program which also has much deeper pockets than the LRB program.”
McClelland says it also means reconstruction can move along faster and the province would assume full liability for immediate and future costs concerning the road and associated railway crossing.
The MTO met with staff and council this week virtually to address concerns raised when the request was initially made last summer.
That included a loss in Connecting Link funding for the Highway 595/Duke Street corridor and having traffic diverted away from the downtown core.
McClelland stresses it’s not the Ministries intent to reroute traffic.
“The Ministry would work with Dryden on installing appropriate business district signage to make it clear where travellers can retain services. We anticipate that people travelling up on Highway 502 are going to want to stop in Dryden in any event.”
He adds the road is an exisiting one and traffic usually flows into the community.
In terms of Connecting Link funding, McClelland says there are no plans to change the criteria and formula and Dryden will continue to receive its annual allocations.
He says the MTO is not seeking a review of eligibility and has no plans to do so anytime soon.
However, McClelland adds he can’t guarantee what happens down the road.
