Residents of Lake George Road in Alfred and Plantagenet want their road repaired.
On Tuesday, February 6, Alfred and Plantagenet Township council received a petition signed by 38 residents of the road requesting it be rehabilitated.
The road has a deteriorated hard surface and many small potholes.
Resident Vianney Gemme organized the petition and went door-to-door, consulting with his neighbours. He told council they all want the road rehabilitated.
Gemme said the residents want the road to be the same quality as the other roads in the township.
He noted Lake George Road sees a lot of residential and agricultural traffic.
“We are working on it, and we are coming up with a plan,” assured Councillor Ian Walker, who represents the area.
Chief Administrative Officer Michel Potvin said rehabilitating Lake George Road is part of the township’s five-year road plan. He said the project will be considered for inclusion in the 2025 municipal budget.
Mayor Yves Laviolette said $1,800,000 is in the 2024 budget for road work, but he knows much more money is needed to meet the needs across the township’s entire road network.
“I have the impression we’d need $60 million to repair all of our road network,” Laviolette said.
He noted that 84 per cent of the road repair needs are in the western part of the municipality.
Councillor Antoni Viau said there will likely be savings in this year’s winter road maintenance budget due to mild weather. Public works crews have not had to plow snow or apply salt and sand to roads as much as usual. Viau wondered if any savings from winter maintenance could be used to repair Lake George Road.
“Is it possible there will be money available?” Viau asked.
Laviolette said savings are likely this season, but noted there is a five-year plan and some roads are prioritized more than others.
Potvin said any savings will be known when budget revisions are made, likely in August.
