A $10.7-million price tag for an Erin village truck bypass did not sit well with some town councillors.
“The reality is the number that they are putting forth is extreme,” said councillor Matt Sammut at the Jan. 16 meeting.
The town received a report from the county’s roads committee written by Don Kudo, Wellington County engineer. The report states a draft truck bypass report was completed in 1998.
The preferred route would take eastbound trucks left onto Wellington Road 24 at Brisbane, right onto Sideroad 17 and left onto Wellington Road 124 to bypass Erin village.
At the time, the cost was estimated at $2.6 million. Those numbers were updated in 2000 to $3.9 million.
Kudo stated in his report a review of the proposed design and cost estimate was undertaken recently to reflect current costs. The estimate was $10,714,000.
“Where I struggle, when I look at the bullets they have (in the report), it’s like this has been created, to be blunt … so it’s a no-brainer to say no,” said Sammut.
The truck traffic on Wellington Road 124 through the village is a frequent discussion at council.
“It is a major county road and we can’t do much about it at this stage of the game,” said Mayor Allan Alls.
Sammut said truck traffic impacts tourism.
“It’s not an enjoyable experience to walk down the town and every third vehicle is a tractor trailer,” he said.
“Eleven million dollars, that’s a lot of money. I get that and I’m disappointed in the number, but I think we need to realize it’s this council and future councils’ job to create the best environment for businesses to grow and towns to flourish.”
Council received the correspondence for information.
