The wait is nearly over.
“Rubblization” of County Road 49 is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 8 now that the specialized equipment has arrived from the United States.
This work was slated to get underway earlier this summer; however, unforeseen delays impacted the contractor’s ability to bring both the specialized equipment and operating crew into Canada.
Rubblization is a road rehabilitation technique that involves breaking the existing concrete road into small pieces and leaving them in place, creating a strong foundation for the new asphalt road. Click here to read more about the process.
Project staging
Crews will start at County Road 15 (Northport Road) and work their way south. Crews will be on site Monday – Friday, 7 am to 7 pm. Workers will not be on site during Labour Day, September 7.
The contractor intends to rehabilitate County Road 49 in sections approximately 1- 2 kilometres in length:
- A minimum of one lane of traffic, operating under alternating directions, will be maintained at all times
- The rubblizing machine will break up the concrete in one lane for approximately 1 – 2 kilometres.
- Crews will come behind to compact and level out the road, followed by a layer of new granular material.
- When that lane of road is complete, crews will turn and work back in the other direction and repeat the process on the adjacent lane.
- Once both lanes have been rubblized and a new layer of granular material has been placed, the base lift of asphalt will be placed over both lanes.
Drivers can expect delays of between 5 to 10 minutes. Both lanes of traffic will re-open at the end each construction day and on weekends. Calcium chloride will be applied to the gravel sections of the road to suppress the dust.
What residents can expect during construction
Residents and drivers might notice:
- A machine breaking the existing concrete into rubble.
- Rollers compacting the roadway.
- Trucks and paving crews placing new asphalt.
- Unpleasant odors from the asphalt that could last up to several hours.
- A smoother road surface once construction is complete.
Culvert replacement work continues
Replacement of culverts and waterproofing of existing concrete box culverts will continue to progress towards Picton.
- During the culvert work, there will be single-lane closures in the vicinity of the work from 7 am – 7 pm. Temporary traffic signals will help maintain the flow of traffic and minimize delays.
- The municipality reminds drivers that a temporary 60 km/h speed limit is in effect throughout the construction zone. Please follow posted signage and reduce your speed when approaching road cuts.
- The municipality continues to monitor and maintain areas where the concrete has been cut out and removed for the cross-culvert replacement. “Bump ahead” signs are installed near the road cuts.
Traffic update
With a 5- to 10-minute wait expected during the major rehabilitation work, using the alternate route instead of staying on County Road 49 may provide little to no advantage for commuters.
However, the municipality recognizes that some drivers may use or continue to use County Roads 5 and 15 as an alternate. Drivers are reminded to follow all posted speed limits along these roads. Staff have notified the OPP about the possibility of increased traffic on these roads, and the local police have agreed to provide additional traffic law enforcement during rehabilitation.
Staff have been monitoring traffic volumes, heavy truck movements, and speeds over the past several months on County Roads 5 and 15. While the traffic volume has increased, speeding and speeding-related issues have not increased. The municipality will continue to track conditions and identify any changes during construction. If safety issues arise, the County will take appropriate action to help keep residents and road users safe.
Stay up to date
The municipality will provide updates to the public throughout the project. Click here to sign up for the email notices.
Click here to learn more about the project on the County website.
For more information, contact Garrett Osborne, Project Manager, at 613.476.2148 ext. 2002 or gosborne@pecounty.on.ca.