Ontario Construction News staff writer
Ottawa’s municipal Transportation Committee on Wednesday approved its portion of the city’s 2022 draft budget, which includes $427.3 million in capital funding for transportation infrastructure. “The funding would help improve roads, bridges, culverts, sidewalks, pathways and intersections, and includes investments in integrated infrastructure projects and lifecycle replacements for the city’s fleet,” a city statement said. The city’s roads, parking, traffic, transportation and fleet services would have a gross operating budget of $338 million.
The capital budget provides $194 million for the integrated program, which includes $76 million for road resurfacing. The program also includes $118 million for integrated projects, which reduce costs by coordinating underground infrastructure work with reconstruction of roads, curbs, sidewalks and pathways.
Another $62 million would fund major road construction projects, including widening the Findlay Creek portion of Bank Street, and constructing an Earl Grey Drive underpass. The City would commit $43 million to renew and replace fleet vehicles and equipment and $11.5 million to renew pedestrian and cycling infrastructure.
“The city continues to make roads safer for all users, investing $7.2 million in Strategic Road Safety Action Plan projects that seek to reduce fatalities and major injury collisions. In 2022, the city will add automated speed cameras in another 12 school zones across the city and use the revenue generated from fines to fund road safety initiatives.”
The roads operations budget would increase by $3 million, bringing the total to $135.3 million. This increase would help the city continue to maintain Ottawa’s roads, sidewalks and pathways in the winter.
Council will consider the budget on Wednesday.
