Cumberland Councillor Stephen Blais is pleased to announce that the City of Ottawa will conduct urgent repairs 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 this summer and will include fixing more then 200 joints with full depth asphalt plugs and a full resurfacing between “the split” and Montreal Road. This work will take place in the evening and on weekends in a manner to minimize traffic impacts.
Weekday lane closures between 9 pm and 6 am and weekend lane closures between 9 pm an 10 am are expected through the construction period which is expected to begin mid to late July and last until late November.
Significant performance incentives will be offered for early completion as well as costly penalties for delay in either lane re-openings in the morning and completion date.
Councillor Blais filed an official inquiry at the City Council meeting of July 13, 2011 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.
Funds have been allocated to the rehabilitation of HWY 174 as part of Ottawa on the Move.
Last year Ottawa City Council approved a proposal by Blais to advance an environmental assessment on widening HWY 174 from “the split” to Orléans by more than 4 years – an additional 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.