Wallaceburg is getting $3 million in provincial funds to rehabilitate McNaughton Avenue and Murray Street.
Overall, Ontario is providing $20 million in 2016-17 to municipalities across the province through the Connecting Links program to make roads and bridges safer, create economic growth, and create or sustain jobs.
Premier Kathleen Wynne announced the funding in Barrie on Friday.
“Municipal roads and bridges that connect to provincial highways are crucial links between economies and communities,” Wynne stated.
“Our investment through Connecting Links in Highway 26 in Barrie — and in 22 other communities across Ontario — will help improve productivity, create or sustain jobs, and make our roads and bridges safer.”
The province says connecting links are municipal roads or bridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway through a community, or to a border crossing.
The province is providing $20 million to 23 municipalities to repair these connecting links.
Funding for the Connecting Links Program will increase to $25 million in 2017-18 and $30 million in 2018-19.
Back on November 20, Chatham-Kent staff received a notice regarding the eligibility to submit a single project under the Connecting Links Program.
A Chatham-Kent staff report says one application in each Municipality would be accepted, with funding up to 90% of project costs or $3 million, whatever waslower.
“The infrastructure funding program requires municipalities to show how proposed projects fit within a comprehensive asset management plan,” wrote Adam Sullo, director of engineering and transportation.
“The Asset management plan that was developed for the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 2013 positions the Municipality favourably to demonstrate that projects proposed are their top priorities and that the full range of local infrastructure financing tools have been explored.”
Sullo said in the report it was determined that the rehabilitation of Murray Street and McNaughton Avenue in Wallaceburg was the project that was “best suited for submission” under the MTO program.
The province says there are about 350 kilometres of roads and 70 bridges along connecting links in 77 municipalities across Ontario.
The Connecting Links program was launched last November, and applications were received early this year.
Successful applicants will receive funding starting this spring.
– File photo
So what happened? They were supposed to re pave Murray and McNaughton streets in Wallaceburg…