Prince Edward County mayor Robert Quaiff is hoping the province will investigate and complete a comparison of costs before repairing a major artery along Highway 49 connecting Prince Edward County to the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.
The $40 million Quinte Skyway Bridge project calls for the replacement of deteriorating bridge deck, piers, and steel girders along with lane and lighting upgrades.
Options in completing the construction vary in closing it completely for two years or keeping it open with detours and traffic delays for three to five years.
The mayor sat down with the Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca at Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference in Windsor on Monday, to talk about the upcoming project and how Quaiff says it could tie in with much needed $20 million County Road 49 rebuild.
Project managers from the Ministry of Transportation and Morrison Hershfield will meet with officials and residents from the County and Territory at two separate meetings to hear their views on the alternatives this week.
In Picton, the meeting is Wednesday, August 17 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Prince Edward Community Centre.
Then on Thursday, Tyendinaga Territory residents are invited upstairs to the Mohawk Community Centre from 5 to 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day Quaiff met with the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Jeff Leal.
Quaiff said he and Leal talked about the upcoming expansion at the Picton Port Terminals, the need to reinstate the Rural Economic Development program and the federal foreign workers program.
Leal had planned to meet with County farmers and tour their farms Tuesday to assess high levels of drought that is wreaking havoc on crops.
However, that meeting has been postponed to a later date due to 25 to 40 mm of rain forecasted for Tuesday.
Quaiff said Leal is very aware of the issue and they will arrange another date in the near future.