Cumberland Councillor Stephen Blais is pleased to announce that the City of Ottawa will begin to fix the horrible condition of HWY 174 between Montreal Road and “the split”.

“For too long the lack of proper funding has allowed HWY 174 to deteriorate,” says Councillor Blais. “Taxpayers deserve value for the hard-earned money they send to city hall.”

Repairs will begin in the next week and will include grinding down the humps on the road and sealing the cracks. This will provide a smoother ride for road users. This work will take place in the evening or on weekends in a manner to minimize traffic impacts.

Councillor Blais filed an official inquiry at the City Council meeting of July 13 to determine the status of the problems with HWY 174 and understand how to solve them.

It was determined that “the renewal and maintenance work on Highway 174 between the 417/174 split and Montreal Road has proven to be a challenge due to the way the road is constructed. The two interior lanes in both directions run over a concrete base. This base has moved at many of the joints and has resulted in an uneven riding surface. These breaks, if left untreated, will result in accelerated deterioration and could pose safety risks.

The costs of the first stage of repairs will be approximately $100,000.

An engineering report outlining longer term solutions for the permanent repair of HWY 174 is expected later this fall. It is anticipated the long term renewal options to be both a challenge and costly.

Earlier this year Ottawa City Council approved a proposal by Blais to conduct an environmental assessment on widening HWY 174 from “the split” to Rockland – an investment of $5 million.

“The new City Council is taking the problems with HWY 174 seriously and is committed to reducing commute times for Orléans and Cumberland residents,” adds Blais