Widening of Black Road from McNabb to Second Line may happen in 2018 or 2019

To pay for it, the planned reconstruction of Black Road between Second Line and Third Line may have to be delayed, as well as Third Line between Black Road and the hospital entrance

CityCouncilInaugurationDecember12014KA10

File photo of City Council chambers by Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday

City staff are intent on proceeding with widening Black Road between McNabb and Second Line, even though the project has been denied funding under the Ontario Government's Connecting Link program.

Don Elliott, the city's director of engineering services, is hoping the project can be included in either the 2018 or 2019 capital works programs.

However, Elliott cautions that to pay for it, the planned reconstruction of Black Road between Second Line and Third Line, and Third Line between Black Road and the hospital entrance may have to be delayed for "a year or so."

The following report will be presented to City Council on Monday.

Monday's City Council meeting will be livestreamed on SooToday beginning at 4:30 p.m.

******************************

Purpose

The purpose of this report is to address the following resolution passed at the meeting of 2016 12 12:

Whereas Sault Ste Marie has 24 kilometres of connecting links roads within its boundaries; and

Whereas 35 per cent of arterial roads in Sault Ste. Marie are designated as connecting links; and

Whereas the provincial government does not provide any funding for winter control, line painting, or maintenance of any kind; and

Whereas the Black Road widening between McNabb Street and Second Line, which is estimated to cost $5.6 million

to complete, is ineligible for funding as MTO [Ontario Ministery of Transportation] deems the increased traffic to be locally generated; and

Whereas Sudbury and Thunder Bay each have a bypass which diverts commercial traffic around their communities; and

Whereas the government of Ontario funds all maintenance and repairs for these roads which local traffic in these communities access on a constant basis; and

Whereas in 2014, MTO deferred all route planning and environmental assessments for a 17E/17N bypass, and the connection of 17E to Black Road at Second Line for at least 10 years;

Now therefore be it resolved that council request that staff provide an update on any current developments relating to the widening of Black Road, and any funding options that would allow for the completion of this work.

Background

Sault Ste. Marie has a long history of reliance on the Connecting Link program for provincial assistance with the movement of traffic through Sault Ste. Marie.

For many years prior to 2014, the province provided annual funding in the range of $1.5 million of its $15 million Connecting Link program to Sault Ste. Marie.

The funding was exclusively for capital improvements including drainage works, roadworks, widenings and surface works with the exception of sidewalks.

Typically the grant was 75 percent of the eligible capital cost.

There is no funding for winter control, sweeping, line painting, signage, or maintenance of any kind on provincial Connecting Links.

The Connecting Link Program was canceled in 2013.

The city was faced with the resurfacing of Great Northern Road between Second and Third Lines, and the widening of Second Line east of Old Garden River Road at its own cost.

Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) grants were provided for the second and third phases of the Second Line widening to Black Road.

The city was pleased to hear of the 2016 reinstatement by the province of the Connecting Link Program, including increased program funding to total $30 million by 2018.

Further, funding was set at a generous 90 percent of capital costs.

In 2016, the city applied to the program for capital funding to widen Black Road between McNabb Street and Second Line.

The city’s application was denied based on a requirement in the application guideline which deemed the project ineligible because the province positioned that the widening was required due to an increase in local traffic, not provincial traffic.

It is on this requirement that staff disagrees.

It does not seem proper that the province is first in line for the capacity of a municipal road, particularly when other municipal jurisdictions have through roads that are 100 percent the responsibility of the province.

It is noted that the former Connecting Link program funded widenings, including Great Northern Road between Third and Fourth Lines, and even Black Road itself between McNabb Street and Trunk Road.

In 2014, the province announced it was no longer pursuing route planning or environmental assessments for a connection of Highway 17 to Second Line at Black Road.

It seemed all the more obvious that there was a long-term requirement to widen Black Road considering it would be the TransCanada Highway for the foreseeable future.

It is further noted that Sault Ste. Marie remains unique when compared to other northern cities in that it cannot be fully bypassed, given the connection to the U.S. interstate system at the International Bridge in the downtown core.

Councillor Shoemaker and the author met with the Minister of Transportation at the February 2016 Ontario Good Roads Association (OGRA) annual conference to discuss the matter.

A follow-up meeting was arranged between senior staff and the northeastern regional director in June 2016.

A summary letter was provided to the director in July 2016 and staff still await a response summarizing the city’s concerns.

Analysis

Staff continues to discuss the matter with colleagues at the ministry, with a view to keeping Sault Ste. Marie’s unique and extensive Connecting Link network at the forefront.

Council is aware that the 2017 Connecting Link application was made for the resurfacing of Second Line between Carmen's Way and North Street and between Great Northern Road and Old Garden River Road.

Staff is hopeful that the 2017 Connecting Link grant will be provided for this work.

As stated in the Council resolution however, there is the matter of the requirement to widen Black Road, and it is staff's impression that MTO will not reconsider its position on the eligibility of the project for Connecting Link funding.

Engineering division staff intends to work with the chief financial officer to include the widening of Black Road in either the 2018 or 2019 capital works programs.

Staff will report back to council with recommended details of those programs in due course.

The funding will come from the deferral of other projects for a year or so, most likely the planned reconstruction of Black Road between Second Line in Third Line, and Third Line between Black Road and the hospital entrance.

Financial implications

Given the province deems the Black Road widening project to be ineligible for Connecting Link funding, the city must identify capital funding on its own.

The project will most likely be funded out of future capital works programs.

Strategic plan/ policy impact

This project is linked to the construction of new, and maintenance of existing infrastructure components of the strategic plan.

Recommendation

It is therefore recommended that council take the following action:

Resolved that the report of the director of engineering dated 2017 01 23 concerning the Black Road Widening Project be received as information.

Respectfully submitted,

Don Elliott, P. Eng.,

Director of Engineering

******************************