Are Big Island Roads Being Left Behind?

Big Island residents aren’t just complaining about rough roads. They’re questioning whether their safety is being taken seriously. If a road is bad enough that people worry an ambulance could lose valuable time getting to them, why does it still feel like a patch job problem instead of a priority?

That concern is at the heart of the comments from the community, where a visible frustration can be seen over road conditions in the area. When people start asking something, they’re  not only describing potholes and rough surfaces. They were talking about the safety, emergency access, and a growing feeling that rural areas like Big Island are being left behind while the County focuses on other infrastructure pressures.

One of the frustration lines up with the County’s own public record. Prince Edward County states that it maintains more than 1,100 kilometres of roads and follows Ontario’s minimum maintenance standards for inspections, patrols and repairs. The County also points to its five-year road improvement plan that is supposed to weigh road condition, failure risk, traffic, and even roads with a history of emergency-service demand. On paper, that suggests safety and accessibility are built into the decision-making process, not treated as an afterthought or secondary concern.

Residents are reacting to what they see and experience in real life and that is where the disconnect sits. The County’s regular road maintenance page updates explains that potholes are filled on an ongoing basis and that crews patrol roads proactively. But for people living on Big Island, that explanation can be felt as overly procedural and disconnected from reality, especially if the same spots keep returning and the overall driving experience continues to feel unsafe,  dangerous and neglected. 

Another flashpoint in the discussion is funding and priorities. One commenter pointed to the water line discussion tied to Base31 and Wellington, and that concern is not coming from nowhere. In a County document from May 15, 2025, staff confirmed that servicing options for Base31 include a preferred connection to Wellington and noted that the County was in discussions about Base31 contributions toward growth-related infrastructure. However, what that document does not show is any evidence that Big Island road work was delayed because of that project. That part remains an inference from residents, not confirmed.

What does deserve closer attention is the County’s own messaging. The County announced on  March 12, 2026 that it was moving ahead with a $14 million rural roads program for the year. Yet at the same time, public planning material connected to the County’s five-year roads plan PDF has pointed to North Big Island Road as a 2026 candidate for single surface treatment, while the March 2026 road-work announcement highlights other roads instead. That does not automatically mean Big Island was removed from the plan, but it does show the lack of clarity that feeds frustration among residents.

If the County wants to maintain public trust on this issue, it needs to go beyond general statements  about standards and work plans. It needs to clearly and directly communicate what is scheduled for Big Island and what is not, and why. What people need is transparency and it's necessary for the County to do so. 

What do you think the County should be asked to clarify first: Big Island’s repair timeline, the standard it uses to decide urgency, or how major growth-related projects affect rural infrastructure priorities? What are your thoughts on this one?