The municipality and its contractor have developed a plan to address the unexpected issues that arose last week during the road rehabilitation project on County Road 3.
Crews observed rapid deterioration caused by moisture within the road structure. This resulted in rutting and uneven driving conditions.
The municipality is taking the following measures:
- The municipality has directed the contractor to excavate the soft material on both the north and south sides of the existing concrete roadway.
- A geotextile separation fabric and geogrid reinforcement will be installed over the native subgrade before placing new granular road base. This treatment will stabilize the roadway structure by preventing the underlying clay soils from migrating into the new granular material.
- The existing concrete roadway remains structurally sound and will remain in place as part of the final road structure.
Traffic impact
The temporary traffic signals will need to remain in place until later next week. The current total signal cycle is approximately five minutes.
Financial impact
The additional costs associated with this work will be covered through the project’s contingency allowance.
Schedule impact
The unforeseen issue will likely extend the original project schedule by two weeks. Work will continue into the middle of September. The project was originally scheduled to be complete by September 1.
The municipality and the contractor will continue to closely monitor progress on the project and provide updates to the community.
Additional information
The municipality is working with its consultant and contractor to better understand the cause of the unforeseen issues.
Prior to construction, municipal staff and the consultant reviewed the geotechnical information from the previous phases of County Road 3 rehabilitation. The soil and material below the surface appeared to be consistent with what was encountered on the previous phases.
However, the way the material behaved after the asphalt was removed was significantly different from the previous phases. The reason for this difference remains unclear. The project team will continue to examine the issues and apply any lessons learned as the municipality designs the next phase of County Road 3 rehabilitation from Civic Address 1668 to Brickworks Drive. That work is tentatively scheduled to begin in 2027.
Motorists are reminded to obey posted signage, follow traffic control devices, and allow extra travel time when travelling through the area.
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For more information, please contact Garrett Osborne, Project Manager, at 613.476.2148 extension 2002 or email gosborne@pecounty.on.ca.
Please note: The County of Prince Edward provides this information as a service to the general public. While we do our best to provide accurate information, construction projects and associated service disruptions are subject to change based on weather, road, traffic, and other uncontrollable conditions.