Long-awaited rebuild of County Road 49 gains momentum

Province increases funding, bringing decades-old infrastructure project within reach

After years of stalled plans and rising costs, Prince Edward County may finally see progress on the long-overdue reconstruction of County Road 49.

For decades, the 18-kilometre stretch between Picton and the Skyway Bridge has posed a major financial and logistical challenge for the municipality. Downloaded from the province in 1998, the road has long been considered too costly for a small rural community to maintain, with repair estimates repeatedly climbing and funding repeatedly falling short.

A road that symbolized a larger problem

Former mayor Robert Quaiff once kept a broken piece of the deteriorating roadway in his office using it as a visual reminder of what many saw as a failed provincial download.

He would show it to visitors and officials alike, pointing to the widening gap between the County’s responsibilities and its financial capacity. Over the years, the cost to rebuild the road climbed from roughly $20 million to an estimated $52 million today, well beyond what local taxpayers could reasonably support.

Despite repeated efforts, funding never materialized. Studies were commissioned, estimates updated, and proposals drafted, only to be shelved when no outside support came through.

A turning point after years of lobbying

That trajectory began to shift last year, when the province committed an initial $20 million toward the project. The County responded by setting aside $7.8 million, with hopes that federal funding would follow. It didn’t.

But last week brought a major development. Provincial representatives, including MPP Tyler Alsopp and Parliamentary Assistant Ric Bresee, announced an increased provincial contribution of $45 million bringing the total funding much closer to what’s needed to move forward.

What changed?

After decades of unsuccessful lobbying, several factors appear to have helped push the project forward.

Provincial officials pointed to the growing importance of Picton Terminals, particularly its role in grain transport, as well as the County’s expanding tourism sector and the development of a new hospital.

Local leadership also played a role. In 2023, the County formed a dedicated County Road 49 Working Group to explore alternative funding strategies and renew pressure on senior levels of government.

The group made up of councillors Chris Braney, Brad Nieman, Phil St-Jean, David Harrison, and Mayor Steve Ferguson took a more focused and persistent approach.

“The Working Group is on a mission to get this road fixed,” Braney said at the time. “Patching it will no longer cut it. County Road 49 needs to be fixed, and we’re not going to take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Federal funding still absent

Despite expectations, federal support has yet to materialize. This comes even after a shift in local political representation, with Liberal candidate Chris Malette elected over Conservative Ryan Williams.

Still, the increased provincial contribution has significantly changed the outlook, giving the County enough backing to begin moving the project forward.

Announcement signals long-awaited progress

The funding update was formally announced last week at the County’s Lake Street garage in Picton, where municipal leaders, staff, and provincial officials gathered for the occasion.

Mayor Steve Ferguson described the moment as a breakthrough after years of delay.

“With the outstanding support of the provincial government, we are finally able to undertake this long-overdue once-in-a-generation infrastructure project,” he said.

The project is expected to go to tender soon, with construction anticipated to begin later this year.

Managing costs and uncertainty

County engineering staff say they are prepared to manage the financial risks associated with a project of this scale.

Head of engineering Cristal Laanstra noted that the current budget includes a 25 per cent contingency to account for market fluctuations, unforeseen site conditions, and pricing uncertainty.

She also pointed to provisions within the tender documents that would share the impact of oil and petroleum price changes between the contractor and the municipality, helping stabilize costs tied to asphalt and materials.

Takeaway

After years of false starts, County Road 49 is finally within reach of reconstruction. Stronger provincial funding and renewed local pressure have shifted the project from uncertain to actionable, though the absence of federal support remains a notable gap in the broader funding picture.