As Prince Edward County continues to fight for funding for the rehabilitation of County Road 49, it’s asking the community to send a clear message to the federal government.
Mayor Steve Ferguson says they have met with ministerial staff in Ottawa and Bay of Quinte MP Chris Malette to the importance of this project but now it’s time for the residents, business owners, and visitors who are impacted daily by the poor quality of the road to speak up.
The municipality has launched a page on its online engagement platform, Have Your Say where the public can share how the condition of the road impacts them by completing a short survey or by leaving a comment on the page.
The aggregated results will be shared with the federal government.
No personal information will be provided.
Approximately half of the $52.3 million rehabilitation project remains unfunded.
County Council approved $7.8 million in the 2024 municipal budget for the project.
While in Ottawa for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference last month, Mayor Ferguson and Interim CAO Adam Goheen met with staff from Transport Canada and MP Malette to discuss the County Road 49 rehabilitation.
The mayor has also shared letters of support for the project from community members, organizations, and businesses.
Those letters and background material are posted on the Have Your Say page.
Opened in 1966, County Road 49 spans 18.4 kilometres, of which 17.3 kilometres is concrete pavement and connects Picton 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 consistently ranks as one of the worst roads in Ontario by CAA.
