Scugog to spend $725,000 in provincial funding on road repairs

The Township of Scugog is spending $725,000 in provincial funding on bettering its roads.

Ward 1 Coun. Ian McDougall said the investment is needed more than ever.

“We had an incident where the school bus wouldn’t travel a particular road for a while, we had an incident where an ambulance was stuck on a way to a call,” he said.

More than $500,000 will go towards a Gradall excavator, a machine that will make ditching work more effective, as road drainage is directly impacted by ditching.

In a statement, Scugog Mayor Bobbie Drew said: “We know the conditions of our roads this spring have and continue to be extremely challenging for many residents. Be assured, our crews are working very hard to repair the extensive damage due to a very wet fall and spring and the freeze-thaw cycles over the winter and spring.”

A portion of the money will also go towards technology that will help crews better respond to areas that are in poor condition.

Residents agree with the investments, as some have been expressing their concerns for years.

“(The roads) totally frustrate me. In front of my driveway, it’s like a sinkhole and it just wrecks my vehicle,” Michael Nosutto said.

McDougall said a road needs study done a few years ago identified $113 million worth of roadwork to be done in the area.

“If we’re not diligent in applying as many resources as we can, that gap will grow even worse … so that money needs to go directly to the roads,” he added.