Gas tax cash helps to fast-track town road repairs

Gas tax revenues will aid the Town of Halton Hills to speed up its road repair program as the Engineering and Public Works Department plans $10.5 million worth of projects in 2006. Last September, in anticipation of receiving gas tax revenues, town council approved a resolution to designate $1 million over the next three years ($333,000 per year) to hard-topping rural gravel roads. The Town will get $3.9 million in total gas tax revenues over the next five years. As a result of the extra cash, work will begin this year on:

· Sixth Line, from 22 Sideroad to Hwy. 7 , gravel, ditching and surface treatment

· Third Line, from 5 Sideroad to 10 Sideroad (phase 1), ditching and some gravel

· 17 Sideroad, from Fourth Line to Trafalgar Rd. resurfacing, phase 1 funding only

· Tenth Line reconstruction, from River Dr. to 20 Sideroad (Phase 1 funding only)

This is in addition to the regular planned program: · Pavement management (2 per cent of every property tax bill goes into a designated fund to repair roads). This year, work will be done in the Bower Ave. and Church St. area of Acton. In 2007, Glen Williams streets will be worked on, and in 2008, it's back to Acton, the Kingham Rd. area this time. The following two years work will be done on Georgetown streets.

· Maple Ave. sidewalks, in front of the post office, and on the south side, from Main St. to Gardiner Dr.

· Eastern Ave. reconstruction in a joint operation with Halton Region

· Guelph and Mountainview intersection improvements (awaiting provincial government approval; it provides 90 per cent of the funding)

· Realignment of Fifth Line North at Steeles Ave.

· Construction of a retaining wall on College St. From 2007 to 2014, the Town of Halton Hills will spend an average $6 million a year on engineering and public works projects. This partial list (see sidebar left) does not include the various funding and engineering projects planned over the next eight years.