Detour season ahead
$4.6 million in Northumberland County road work will get under way soon
We’re about to enter detour season in Trent Hills as road repairs and construction get under way. You’ll be able to get there from here, but it will take you longer on a scenic route.
Northumberland County has approved contracts for several road and bridge projects in our area totalling $4.6 million in spending.
Two projects I’ve written about before, will replace large culverts on County Road 25, one at Killoran Creek, just south of Hastings, and one at Salt Creek, just south of Norham. Drain Brothers Excavating Limited won a $1.8 million contract. It was the lowest of seven bids, $740,000 less than the second-place bid.
The county plans public meetings in Hastings and Warkworth in coming weeks to explain the work and hear any comments. There will be detours while each culvert is replaced. Each project will close the road for about 10 weeks.
Drain Brothers also won a $2.1 million contract to repave a large section of County Road 30, south of the hamlet of Trent River between the 8th Line West and the 11th Line West. Six bids were received and Drain Brothers was the lowest by $140,000.
As I wrote last week KB Civil Constructors Inc. of North York has won a $710,000 contract to repair the CR30 bridge over the Trent River north of that area. That project will also close the bridge for 10 weeks, resulting in detours.
During the county council meeting on Wednesday, Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky asked what will happen if the paving and bridge projects go over budget or take longer than planned.
Her query followed a discussion of how the cost overruns at the Golden Plough Lodge were impacting county finances.
Denise Marshall, Director of Public Works, said she was confident that the work would be done for the contracted amount, noting that her staff was experienced handling such projects, which are straightforward and relatively small. Left unsaid was the contrast with the Golden Plough Lodge construction project with was large, complicated, late and millions over budget.
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