South Kent Coun. Ryan Doyle would like to see Chatham-Kent develop a long-term plan to maintain Chatham-Kent’s 1,785 kilometres of gravel roads
The first-term councillor raised the concern before council recently, announcing he will be bringing a motion forward at the Sept. 11 meeting.
Doyle said he understands the issue as he comes from a rural background, noting the number of complaints and requests for service on gravel roadways continues to increase.
Currently the municipality resurfaces some 525 km. of gravel road annually at a cost of approximately $4.5 million. Chatham-Kent also spends about $1.4 million each year on dust suppressant for roads.
The motion coming forward requests that administration develop a long-term strategy, to be considered in the 2024 multi-year budget process, that would include prioritizing upgrades to surface treatment or pavement for roadways that are key connectors or where traffic volumes warrant improvements.
