A drive to the county is usually scenic, but it can also be bumpy.
A new street scanning report finds close to 40 per cent of the roads in Prince Edward County are in poor condition, or worse.
Bumpy roads are nothing new to drivers in Prince Edward County.
“Driving on a county road I blew a tire,” said Picton resident Maty Asfalvi. “I’ll always try to avoid highway 49. It’s just a mess when it comes to holes.”
Highway 49 from the skyway bridge to Picton has already been flagged by drivers as one of the province’s worst roads in the CAA’s annual survey.
A company was brought in to inspect roads in the county, using high-tech sensing equipment.
Close to 40 per cent of roads in Prince Edward County are in poor condition or worse.
“We know we have a large proportion of our roads that are very poor or end-of-life condition,” said Adam Goheen Prince Edward County’s director of operations.
A newly commissioned report shows the situation is dire and will only get worse if more isn’t done to address the issue.
According to the study by the firm StreetScan, a budget of over $25 million would be required to maintain the county’s existing road network.
The current budget is only $7 million.
The committee of the whole has decided that it will take five years to reach the recommended spending level.
“Even with the substantially increased level of investment that the council has endorsed, the roads will get worse before they get better,” Goheen said.
The plan to increase the road maintenance budget in phases will go to council for approval next month.
And while this might not be what Asfavli wanted to hear, he says, he’s prepared.
“I drive an SUV. I can get through anything.”