Grey County Director of Transportation Gary Shaw warns you can only put off road reconstruction so long, but some day you’ll face a big bill.
Under the 2010 budget, County council approved only 4.5 million dollars in capital work on the roads.
Shaw says a study in 2008 showed 48 million dollars worth of construction upgrades are needed, so each year he says they are falling farther behind.
Meanwhile, he says many bridges were constructed in the 1920’s or 30’s which are deteriorating and need work soon.
One big project that is on hold this year, is work on 3rd avenue east in Owen Sound past the Bayshore.
Gary Shaw says the county was facing a tight budget and the city postponed water and sewer upgrades so the whole project is off until 2011 or 2012.
One positive from the transportation department is the cost of snow removal this winter.
Shaw says it has been the lightest winter he can remember and the County saved about 900 thousand dollatrs in November and December alone.
Despite that saving, he is budgeting the same amount for this year — in case we have a more normal November-December snowfall.