DAN CEARNS, The Standard
KAWARTHA LAKES: To protect a number of rural roads from breaking down from truck traffic pressure, the City of Kawartha Lakes has decided to place weight restrictions on four stretches of roadway.
At a Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday, April 5th, councillors voted to restrict commercial traffic from using Yelverton Road, Gray Road to Janetville Road, and Waite Road, from Manvers Scugog Townline to Highway 35. These same restrictions were also placed on Drum Road, from Manvers/Scugog Townline “to a point 1.7 km west of Manvers/Scugog Line” and Ballyduff Road, from Manvers Scugog Townline “to a point 375 meters west of Highway 35.” However, these two stretches have the use exception of allowing “traffic accessing local pits on the identified local haul access route.”
This recommendation was brought to council after Ward 8 Councillor Tracy Richardson brought forward a memorandum in November to have city staff “review the By-Law that restricts commercial truck traffic on rural roads” and to consider the inclusion of Yelverton Road, Ballyduff Road, Waite Road, and Drum Road in this bylaw.
Mike Farquhar, the City’s Manager of Technical Services and Engineering, stated these roads are listed in the City’s Transportation Master Plan as local roads, and thus were not built to handle commercial truck traffic.
Councillor Richardson stressed the importance of the city protecting their rural assets. “Two of those roads we had to pulverize in the last year because there was nothing left of the roads because they aren’t built to sustain that traffic. As a result, two other roads they decided to use are now in the position that they need to be pulverized. So, I’m more concerned about managing our assets moving forward,” she said. “If we’re putting money into these roads, we need to keep them consistent.”