City puts all eggs in one basket for funding application

The city is intentionally putting all of its eggs in one basket by putting forth only one candidate for provincial road funding for the Connecting Links program in hopes it will increase its chances.

An application will be made for an expansion of Black Road to four lanes between McNabb Street and Second Line as result of a vote by city council last night.

City staff identified the Black Road project as sole candidate for provincial funding through the Connecting Link program, $15-million in annual funding available to the 77 municipalities in Ontario which have ‘connecting links,’ municipal roadways which connect to provincial highways and border crossings.  

Asked which other projects the city were considering, Don Elliott, director of Engineering Services, said resurfacing Second Line between Great Northern Road and Old Garden River Road and Second Line hill west of North Street.

Ward 1 councillor Steve Butland wondered if it might be a good idea to apply for more than one project.

“Would we be wise to put in another application at the same time, or would we endanger our first one?” asked Butland?

Mayor Christian Provenzano suggested, with 77 communities vying for just $15-million, that doing so would indeed endanger the funding request.

Elliott pointed out the city is applying for the maximum amount of funding for the most pressing project only.

“We’re going for $2.3-million of $15-million. If we are successful, and I hope we are that is a good chunk of money,” said Elliott.

Only the approximately one kilometre of roadway between McNabb Street and Second Line will be eligible for a connecting links funding application, with a total cost for the project’s two phases estimated to be $5.25-million.

The province will cover up to 90 percent of the project’s cost should the project be approved for Connecting Links funding  — with the city responsible for at least the remaining $270,000.

City staff have allocated $1.75-million for the project through the city’s 2015-2019 approved five-year capital plan. 

If funding is approved by the province for one or both phases, any remainder of the $1.75-million city allocation will be reassigned to other capital priorities.

Elliott said the Black Road project is the last of the major reconstruction work for the city’s connecting links, future funding requests are planned to revolve around maintenance.

“I see this as the last for full reconstructing. Most of the road base and surfaces on our other connecting links are good,” said Elliott.

The Ministry of Transportation cancelled the Connecting Links program in 2013, but reintroduced it last spring for projects beginning in the 2016 construction season.

The announcement of the reintroduction of the program was made in Sault Ste. Marie by Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation — in part because Sault Ste. Marie has the largest share of connecting links in the province at 24.5 kilometres.

(PHOTO: MPP David Orazietti speaks April 20, 2015 during a press conference announcing a new Connecting Links program as Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation and Mayor Christian Provenzano look on. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)

Previous SooToday coverage of this story:

City to seek $5-million to fund four-laning one kilometre of road