Picton – The Ontario government announced today that it is funding the rehabilitation of County Road 49.
“With the outstanding support of the provincial government, we are finally able to undertake this long overdue once-in-a-generation infrastructure project,” said Mayor Steve Ferguson. “County Road 49 is a vital lifeline in our community, key for our long-term economic growth and well-being. On behalf of County Council, residents, businesses, and visitors to Prince Edward County, I thank the Government of Ontario for helping us move forward.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t recognize the many organizations whose advocacy contributed to this additional funding including Council’s County Road 49 working group, Quinte Health, the CAA, the Prince Edward Federation of Agriculture, the Quinte Home Builders’ Association, the Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce, and many others,” Mayor Ferguson added.
“Our government is protecting Ontario by making historic investments in highway infrastructure to improve road safety and strengthen our economy,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “Rehabilitating County Road 49 will improve a key gateway into Prince Edward County, support good-paying jobs during construction and make it easier for visitors to access one of Ontario’s top tourism destinations.”
“We’ve continuously heard from Prince Edward County residents and visitors about the rough ride on County Road 49 and about the need to replace its concrete surface, but the cost was prohibitive for the municipality,” said Tyler Allsopp, MPP for Bay of Quinte. “Our government recognized this need and committed funding to ensure the job gets done. I’m looking forward to seeing shovels in the ground very soon.”
County Road 49 serves as a transportation route for the municipality’s tourism, hospitality, and employment sectors. The road experiences average daily traffic volumes of approximately 6,000 vehicles, with peak traffic occurring during morning and evening rush hours. This includes commercial and industrial traffic, with heavy trucks accounting for about 5 per cent of the total traffic.
The municipality anticipates issuing a tender for the rehabilitation project in the coming days. Work is expected to take place over two construction seasons in 2026 and 2027.
Opened in 1966, County Road 49 spans 18.4 kilometres, of which 17.3 kilometres is concrete pavement. The road connects Picton, the municipality’s largest settlement area, with the Bay of Quinte Skyway Bridge, one of the largest entry-points into the municipality from Highway 401. The Province of Ontario downloaded the roadway to the County in 1998. County Road 49 has reached the end of its natural lifespan. It consistently ranks as one of the worst roads in Ontario by CAA.