Oxford, Simcoe Street 'connecting link' to be reconstructed
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Through the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s Connecting Links Program, the Town of Tillsonburg will receive $1,578,461 towards the reconstruction of Oxford/Simcoe Street.
“We are investing in municipal roads and bridges to keep families safe and to support jobs and growth in local communities,” said Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney in a media release. “We are working with municipal partners to make investments to help ensure Ontario’s transportation system works for everyone.”
The Ministry of Transportation Connecting Links Program supports the construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of connecting links infrastructure that connect two ends of a provincial highway through a community or border crossing. This year, the government will invest $30 million to support 25 Connecting Links projects, which will help 23 municipalities build, renew or replace designated municipal roads and bridges that run through their communities and connect to provincial highways. Funding covers up to 90% of eligible project costs. Eligible municipalities are encouraged to apply for funding for the 2020-21 Connecting Links Program, which will be open to applications later this year.
The Town of Tillsonburg’s share of the local reconstruction will be roughly 10 per cent, approximately $150,000.
Oxford Street, from the Broadway intersection heading east to the Tillson Avenue intersection, and Simcoe Street from Tillson Avenue to Vienna Road, will be reconstructed. That includes the bridge on Simcoe Street over Big Otter Creek.
Pre-engineering has begun on the project in advance of the official signing of documents, said Tillsonburg Mayor Stephen Molnar, (funds are recoverable) which will require a secondary Council resolution. Engineering for the project is expected to continue through 2019, making it a 2020 construction project.
“Early 2020, we anticipate,” said Molnar.
Traffic flow, which will be impacted in 2020, will be reviewed, said Molnar, and a pro-active traffic process examined.
“The enhancement of any infrastructure, especially a bridge,” he said, noting the bridge is inspected bi-annually, “that people are passing over like that… safety is the No. 1 thing. And when you have a chance to protect the integrity of those assets well into the future, you take advantage of it.”
“This funding for the Town of Tillsonburg will support jobs and is part of our commitment to rural infrastructure that will help keep our roads safe and support our local economy,” said Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman.
“Tillsonburg, as a strong and vibrant urban community in southwestern Ontario, is proud to continue the tradition of investing together with the Province to build a stronger local and regional economy,” said Molnar. “This important road infrastructure project will help ensure the safe and efficient movement of goods and services.
“I think, corporately, it’s an area of priority. The King’s Highway Connecting Link brings a lot of pressure on a local municipality, but I think we’ve proactively demonstrated with our fiscal responsibility, with our ability as a small urban municipality that can stand, not just as ourselves but a wider geographic area of influence, that this is an investment that is not just for our community but for a wider benefit, for both vehicular traffic and for economic development and commerce in the southwestern Ontario area. So we’re moving people, we’re moving goods, and we’re doing it safely, and this is the type of partnership investment with the Province of Ontario that we’re proud to recognize and continue with.”
Oxford infrastructure
Other infrastructure projects in Oxford have been nominated for the joint Federal-Provincial-Municipal Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. In Oxford, 31st Line road reconstruction in Zorra has been nominated for $404,117.92 in provincial funding. In Blandford-Blenheim, the reconstruction of Bridge 24 over the Ninth River has been nominated for $1,312,368.75.
“We need to build and maintain our roads and bridges to help get people to work and home safely everyday,” said Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman. “These improvement projects will help support our local business by making it easier for people to get around and provide good jobs to our communities.”
These new projects under the Rural and Northern Stream of the Investing in Canadian Infrastructure Program are in addition to the 49 projects across Ontario that were nominated for review on May 10th. The federal government will review these projects and make final funding decisions.
“Getting around in Oxford often means driving, and that’s why our government is committed to investing in our roads and bridges,” said Hardeman. “That’s why we’re supporting investments in our rural infrastructure which can create jobs, make it easier to get around our communities and help grow our local economy.”
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