One of Barrie’s roughest roads could soon be a much smoother drive.
City councillors have given initial approval to a motion adding $150,000 to this year’s end-of-life pavement replacement program to do Vespra Street.
“The concern from the employers in this area is severe and what really triggered it for me is there are some products being moved in this area, including fuels, and precision robotics, that need good roads,” said Mayor Jeff Lehman. “The very least we can do…is provide the ability for trucks to get in and out of our employers without significant damage to their products.”
His motion would fund the project from the federal gas tax reserve.
City council will consider final approval of this motion at its June 14 meeting, but support for it was unanimous June 7.
Lehman said the end-of-life pavement replacement program might be able to do Vespra Street without additional funding, but its projects are about to go to tender and prices are uncertain.
“The estimate that was given to me was $100-$125,000,” he said. “To be safe I’m asking you to authorize up to $150,000, but I’m hopeful it won’t have to be spent at all.”
“I think it’s a great sign to our businesses…that we’ll do anything for our businesses,” said Coun. Robert Thomson.
Vespra Street stretches from Ellen Street across Bradford Street to Innisfil Street, then to Anne Street South. The section of Vespra to Innisfil, past the old fire hall site, is famous for its roller-coaster ride, but it’s also very rough between Innsifil and Anne streets.
“On the positive side, they’re probably not getting many street racers on it,” said Deputy Mayor Barry Ward, as an aside.
Mayes-Martin, located at 150 Vespra St., is a fuel supplier including propane and home heating oil. It would benefit from a repaved Vespra Street says company owner and president Shawn Fullan.
“They (councillors) must have driven the street before then. The street has always been really rough,” he said. “A lot of people use this street, it’s surprising how many…I guess it’s a shortcut so a lot of commuters, just everyday people, are bombing up and down this street, and their cars are just taking a beating. It’s good news for everybody (that it’s to be repaved).
“There’s a lot of businesses on the street - Barrie Welding and Machine, Wallwin Electric Service, Air Liquide Canada, plus other small ones,” Fullan said. “A lot of these companies will be happy that their customers can drive down a normal street again. It’ll help us greatly.”
This program addresses the many Barrie streets requiring larger-scale asphalt replacement; due to budget constraints, however, these repairs are usually left until road reconstruction, which includes the pipes below the street surface. Reconstruction is often years away or there may be no plans for it, as subsurface infrastructure is still in acceptable condition.
But these road sections are beyond preservation or rehabilitation, staff say, and require regular pothole patching and provide a poor ride for drivers.
As part of the city’s 2021 capital budget, $1,175,000 will be spent on the end-of-life pavement replacement program this year and $1.18 million in 2022, council decided earlier this year. Both amounts are more than a $500,000 increase from the capital budget staff proposed.
The city’s capital plan, a long-range document, shows funding reverting to $655,000 for the end-of-life pavement replacement program in 2023 and in years beyond.
The city’s end-of-life pavement replacement program, for 2021-2024, includes Agnes Street from Lount to Peel streets, Ferndale Industrial Drive from its end to Ferndale Drive North, Fairview Road from Little Avenue to Big Bay Point Road, Lockhart Road from Saunders to Huronia roads, Shannon Street from St. Vincent Street to Marion Crescent, Saunders Road from Welham to Huronia roads, Welham Road from Saunders to Hooper roads and Vancouncer Street from Codrington to Napier streets.
This list was last updated in November, 2020.
