The Blue Mountains council has approved an additional $300,000 for a major project to move the Georgian Trail crossing on Thornbury's east end off the highway and into an existing intersection.
At its committee of the whole meeting on Oct. 8, council voted 5-1 in favour of a staff report requesting an additional $300,000 for the project to move the trail’s Highway 26 crossing to the intersection of the highway and Grey Road 2. Coun. Alex Maxwell was opposed and Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon was absent.
The realignment is a major project being led by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). The Blue Mountains is contributing funding to the work and also received a $420,000 grant from the province for its contribution.
In a report, staff requested an additional $300,000 for the project bringing the total from $700,000 to $1 million.
“The MTO aims to start construction starting in quarter two of 2025,” said Pruthvi Desai, the town’s manager of capital projects.
The project would see a new Georgian Trail crossing built at the intersection of Highway 26 and Grey Road 2. In addition, a new section of the trail would be built along the highway between Grey Road 2 and Lake Shore Road on the opposite side of the highway as the current section of the trail. A pedestrian bridge also must be added over a culvert in the area.
Staff said the additional $300,000 project would be funded through a combination of development charges and reserve funds on hand.
Members of council asked why the project costs had escalated by $300,000. Desai said the $700,000 estimate originated in 2022 and was a very high-level cost forecast and did not include the pedestrian bridge. Land acquisition is also necessary for the new section of trail. Desai also explained that the $1 million contribution from the town would be the final number as the town will be signing a memorandum of understanding with MTO for the project.
Desai said the design work for the project would be completed in the first quarter of 2025, construction would start in the second quarter of 2025 and the project would be completed by the fourth quarter of 2026.
Members of council were supportive of proceeding with the additional funds for the work.
Coun. Paula Hope said she often bikes that section of the Georgian Trail and said the current crossing over Highway 26 is “perilous.”
“I put a high value on this project,” said Hope. “I am delighted that this vulnerable spot in our safety plan is being addressed.”
