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During its May 17 meeting, North Bay City Council awarded a $3.36 million contract to Pioneer Construction Ltd. for this year's asphalt resurfacing program.
Coun. Chris Mayne, chair of the infrastructure and operations committee expects work to begin imminently as the asphalt plants open for the season. This year's program will cover approximately 17 kilometres of roadways.
City Engineer John Severino notes the list of candidates for rehabilitation is developed through an established Road Matrix Program that is updated on a 4- or 5-year cycle by a third party for the City. "It is quantitative and objective," he says.
The roads are driven and scored quantitatively based on the following criteria:
- Riding comfort
- Noise
- Cracking
- Stress
Roads are then ranked based on that score and in conjunction with their traffic usage — is the road arterial, a collector, residential or rural.
"Over the last several years the City has focused on the arterial and the collector roads," Severino advises. "In the last few years, the City has begun tackling roads in the poorest condition even though they may have scored lower based on the established criteria."
The City also utilizes geotechnical analysis, in concert with the classification of the road to inform the type of treatment that will be undertaken. The types of treatments that are normally undertaken through the re-surfacing program include:
- Mill and pave
- Pulverize and pave
- Overlay
- Reconstruct
Typically, major reconstructions are addressed as standalone projects that may also address other linear infrastructural needs.
In addition, as part of the resurfacing program, the City also makes use of an ongoing crack sealing element to extend the life of roadways. The crack sealing program optimizes the life cycle of the roads which reduces the City’s impacts on greenhouse gas footprint and is cost-effective.
The City of North Bay's 2022 Asphalt Resurfacing Program List:
- Algonquin Avenue - McLaren Street to Rose Avenue
- Aubrey Street - Cassells Street to High Street
- Birchs Road - Imperial Road to Gibson Street
- Booth Road - Ashdale Crescent to Bunting Drive
- Cassells Street - King Street West to Sixth Avenue West
- Chippewa Street West - Fraser Street to Cassells Street
- Eglee Avenue - Veronica Drive to Queensway Road
- Fisher Street - Oak Street East to Main Street East
- Fisher Street - Worthington Street East to Main Street East
- Lamorie Street - Lakeshore Drive to bridge
- Marshall Avenue East - Parks Creek bridge to Booth Road
- Marshall Park Drive - Summit Drive to Marshall Avenue East
- Memorial Drive - Regina Street to the pedestrian crossing
- O'Brien Street - Front Street to High Street
- Sherbrooke Street - Worthington Street East to First Avenue East
- Ski Club Road - McKee Drive to Johnston Road
See related from 2021: Summer roadwork. Did your street make the list?
Coun. Mark King, the vice-chair of the committee noted the tender for work on Lees Road will go out this summer but the standalone project will depend on cost.
"When you look at tendering costs for asphalt," the price per tonne has risen from $732 in March 2021 to $1,156 this April. "There are substantial inflationary costs at work right now with respect to repaving."
