The cost of road repairs means Bradford could be in for a bumpy ride come budget time, and things could only get worse if the issue is kicked down the road.
The Multi-Year Roads and Related Assets Work Plan by Matthew Simurda, the town’s asset management project manager, expects the town’s special capital levy will need to double in 2024 from one per cent to two per cent in order to keep up with the costs of maintaining the town's roads and related infrastructure.
Committee of the whole recommended council received the plan for information during its regular meeting Nov. 7, and while there was no recommendation for further action, the issue is likely to become part of budget deliberation in early January.
“The current one-per-cent levy will be insufficient to deliver the current list of capital projects in 2024,” Simurda said in the report.
That’s without even factoring in potential cost increases from other projects that fall outside the work plan, such as Line 8, Holland Street or the wastewater treatment plant expansion.
Simurda noted that over the last eight years, spending on roads and bridge/culvert projects received about 59 per cent of funding from grants, and 41 per cent from the town’s capital replacement reserve.
That reserve was sitting at about $11.5 million at the end of August, according to the financial update included as part of a council meeting in early October.
While the plan includes forecasts as far into the future as 2033, the total cost of projects for 2024 is expected to be $11.4 million.
Simurda goes on to warn that delaying maintenance and rehabilitation work could end up costing the town even more, as costs continue to rise each year, and delaying projects for too long could result in the need for even more costly replacements instead.
Despite those warnings, Mayor James Leduc said he would be pushing to maintain the one-per-cent special capital levy.
“That’s my maximum threshold,” he said, noting the nearly $45 million in roads projects forecast over the next decade. “It’s just about moving money around.”
Leduc also asked for clarity around the plan for Simcoe Road between Centre Street and Luxury Avenue, which is scheduled for resurfacing in 2024, but could be impacted by continuing construction on the County of Simcoe’s 50-unit affordable housing development on the northeast corner of Simcoe Road and Luxury, scheduled for occupancy at the end of 2024.
Simurda acknowledged that it would be better to hold off on resurfacing until the development is substantially complete, but also warned against deferring the work past summer of 2025.
Both Leduc and Deputy Mayor Raj Sandhu raised concerns about a potential clerical error for work on Line 8 scheduled for 2025, which they felt had been done in 2022, and Simurda committed to investigate and reassured council that if Line 8 were removed from the list, the next road would be moved up in order of priority.
“Given the length of the list of the projects, I’d say there are plenty of candidates to fill that gap,” he said.
Ward 2 Coun. Jonathan Scott also noted the need to prioritize projects in conjunction with work on side streets that are planned to be included in the Holland Street revitalization.
Below is a brief summary of road work planned for 2024.
Bridge and culvert rehabilitation projects — inspection, maintenance, repair, rehabilitation and replacement of bridges and culverts — are estimated to cost $905,950 and include:
- General bridge and culvert maintenance program
- McArthur Bridge — Line 4, Concession 4, .1 km east of Sideroad 5
- Culvert — Edward Street .4 km East of Simcoe Road
- Culvert — Line 8, southeast corner of Line 8 and County Road 4 (North Bradford Square)
Road maintenance projects — assessments and preventative maintenance to delay deterioration — are estimated to cost $579,700 and include:
- General maintenance paving
- Microsurfacing Line 2 — Mandalane Lane to County Road 27
- Microsurfacing Line 4 — Sideroad 5 to the west town limit
Parking lot rehabilitation projects are estimated to cost $300,050 and include:
- General parking lot maintenance
- Danube Seniors Leisure Centre
Road rehabilitation projects — resurfacing urban and rural roads where spot repairs or surface preservation are no longer cost effective — are estimated to cost $4,265,450 and include:
- Colborne Street — Holland Street East to John Street East
- Sideroad 10 — Holland Street West to Reagens Industrial Parkway
- Simcoe Road — Centre to Luxury
- Canal Road — Line 6 right of way to Pumphouse Road
- Kilkenny Drive
- Line 9 – railroad tracks to Artesian Industrial Parkway to Scanlon Creek Conservation Area entrance
Minor road reconstruction projects — work on existing roads that combine road needs with water and sewer work — are estimated to cost $5,384,000 and include:
- Miller Park Avenue
- Agar Avenue
- Davey Boulevard
- Drury Street
- Mary Street
- Thomas Street
- Fred Cook Drive
- Luxury Avenue
- Kulpin Avenue
Recommendations from committee of the whole are considered for approval at the next regular council meeting.
