Written By Olena Riznyk
NORTH MIDDLESEX – Ken Logtenberg of BM Ross and Associates presented the 2025 Roads Needs Study to council on September 3rd, offering a detailed review of the municipality’s road network and recommendations for future investment. The study covered 467.7 kilometres of roads, most of them gravel, and was designed to help set priorities for repairs and long-term planning.
Traffic counts were conducted at 59 locations in the spring and combined with condition ratings to provide a snapshot of how the network is performing. On average, roads were found to be in fair to good condition, though many will require attention within the next decade. In Parkhill, surfaces ride well overall, but rutting and cracking are beginning to appear. In Ailsa Craig, drainage problems were highlighted, with several streets expected to need work in coming years. In Nairn, most roads have solid base structures and good drainage, but pavement surfaces are approaching the end of their life. Gravel roads across the township are generally holding up, though many could benefit from ditching, brushing, and reclaiming where farmland has encroached on municipal rights-of-way.
Logtenberg emphasized that preventative maintenance is key to extending the life of the system and avoiding costly reconstruction. He recommended measures such as crack sealing, patching, and shoulder work as cost-effective strategies. While gravel roads can become soft in spring, they remain the least expensive to maintain when traffic volumes are low.
The study also compared annualized costs by road type. Gravel roads average about $6,000 per kilometre to maintain, tar-and-chip about $9,500, and asphalt just over $12,000. Roads carrying more than 400 vehicles per day could be considered for paving, but only after geotechnical tests confirm the base is strong enough.
To maintain current service levels, BM Ross recommended continuing gravel and calcium programs and setting aside about $126,000 each year for targeted maintenance, such as drainage improvements and shoulder repairs. Over the next decade, capital rehabilitation is forecast at $18.5 million, or about $1.85 million annually. With maintenance included, the total yearly investment is estimated at $1.97 million—slightly higher than in past years but considered necessary to preserve the system.
Logtenberg concluded that North Middlesex’s roads are in fair to good condition overall, but several sections are nearing the point where rehabilitation will be required. The study, he said, provides a framework for setting priorities, coordinating projects with other infrastructure needs, and keeping the network reliable in the years ahead.
