Concession 10 roadwork to proceed

Clearview Township council has voted to enter into a construction contract with Walker Aggregates for the first phase of the required work on the 10th Concession from Road 91 to the 30/31 Sideroad.
As of last month, permits from the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC), and the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) have been issued, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), has signed off.
The road has been identified as being a priority for reconstruction for more than two decades and is the only unpaved section of the 10th Concession between County Road 124 and Collingwood, reported Dan Perrault, Clearview’s deputy director of public works.
“It has been impacted by ever increasing traffic demands which has increased the maintenance requirements of the existing gravel surface and the overall concerns related to public safety,” said Perrault.
“Section 3.1 of the Road Settlement Agreement that was developed and signed during the Joint Board Hearing for the Duntroon Quarry Expansion gives Clearview the option, exercisable in its sole discretion, to enter into a direct contract with Walker Aggregates Inc. to complete the road improvement work for the 10th Concession.”
The roadwork has been broken into two, possibly three phases, with the first phase of construction set to begin immediately, with tree clearing taking place this winter.
Phase one of the work is on just under one kilometre of the 3.3 kilometre project, stretching between County Road 91 and 26/27 Sideroad Nottawasaga. The remainder of the work will continue in 2022 with paving possibly delayed until 2023.
The cost estimate to complete the works on the 10th Concession is $3,572,120, of which Clearview has budgeted to pay $1,000,000, with the remainder being paid by Walker Aggregates.
The financing is set out in the minutes of settlement from a decade-old consolidated hearing board that was agreed to by parties involved in a plan to close a portion of County Road 91 to be used by the quarry. The road closure was contingent on the upgrades of Concession 10 and 26/27 Sideroad. Clearview has subsequently been denied permits for the work on 26/27 Sideroad and is appealing that decision at an upcoming tribunal process.
The Concession 10 construction contract and related bylaw was approved at a special meeting of council on Feb. 17, but with certain amendments.
The road is being designed to a standard that would allow for a 70 km/hr posted speed limit but councillors took steps to ensure the speed limit would be reduced to 60 km/hr, to appease the safety concerns of residents, at the suggestion of Councillor Doug McKechnie.
Councillor Thom Paterson was also looking for assurances that the roadwork was not contingent on the contentious NEC permits for the 26/27 Sideroad, that the whole agreement won’t fall apart if the 26/27 Sideroad permits are not issued.
“Walker has provided funding to do this road [Concession] 10. It’s within the same agreement but we would not expect Walker to ask for the money back if for some reason provincial red tape wouldn’t allow us to proceed with the entire project,” said director of public works Mike Rawn.
The Concession 10 roadwork is related to, but not contingent on, the township’s applications relating to development permits for 26/27 Sideroad, which is also part of the settlement.
Clearview is appealing the refusal of a development permit and making an application to amend the Niagara Escarpment Plan to allow for road works after wetlands were identified in the area. A pre-hearing conference is scheduled for Feb. 24.