Solving Norwich’s road issues a complicated, expensive endeavour

Luke Edwards, Post Contributor

Norwich councillors are hoping to get answers to how to solve some of its road issues soon.

Conditions of the township’s road system came up multiple times at the June 3 meeting, with staff and councillors at times butting heads on how to fix problems that have arisen. Ultimately, little progress was made, though councillors did approve a motion from Coun. Adrian Couwenberg to have staff report back on options to redirect some of the township’s brushing budget to ditching work. Meanwhile, discussion surrounding resurfacing projects for Firehall Road and Beaconsfield Road were tabled for the time being.

“We don’t have enough money to maintain our gravel roads, we don’t have enough money to maintain our paved roads right now, we’re always short of money for roads,” said Coun. Lynne DePlancke.

Couwenberg’s motion calls on staff to come back with a report by July 8. He said he’d been hoping to redirect funds at the June 3 meeting, but would have to settle for the July report.

“There are ongoing issues on our ditching program. There’s water on the roads, there’s roads washed out. There’s one puddle I like to call the 20-year puddle that’s always in the same spot every year,” he said.

“I’d like to see some funds redirected from the brushing, because we can’t raise taxes, everybody’s alarmed at taxes. But I think our priorities need to be set, and take some (money) from brushing and cutting sumac down every year in the same spot, to ditching and getting the moisture (out).”

Following that motion, CAO Matt Smith presented a report recommending postponement of the resurfacing projects for Firehall Road between Oxford Centre Fire Hall and Oxford Road 14, as well as Beaconsfield Road from Highway 59 to 299 metres east of Middletown Line. Staff recommended postponement of the projects to 2026 to prevent a recurrence of what happened with Curries Road, where an upgrade project backfired and resulted in a severely damaged road.

The report suggested frost and thaw in late February and heavy truck usage at the same time led to the destruction of the newly upgraded road. But ultimately, the damage was the result of an insufficient road base. The only long-term solution for Curries Road is reconstruction, staff said.

To not repeat the same issue, staff tested sections of Firehall Road and Beaconsfield Road.

“After completing these test holes, staff do not believe that it would provide good value for taxpayer dollars to add a hard surface on top of the existing gravel roads in these locations, as the inadequate base layer could well lead to similar problems as were experienced on Curries Road,” the report said.

The recommendation didn’t sit well with Couwenberg.

“To kick this can down the road again, this is the third time I have to debate Firehall Road,” he said.

Smith suggested there wasn’t really a debate, but simply staff responding to the conditions they’ve discovered.

“There is absolutely nothing in this report or in our opinion that says we should not be hardsurfacing these roads,” he said.

“This is a case of pennywise, pound foolish…we need to do things the right way.”

DePlancke seemed to agree with staff’s assessment.

“If we don’t properly do the reconstruction on these roads, it’s no different than building my house…If you don’t put up the right foundation, your house is not going to last,” she said.

“If we do a road again and it ends up like Curries, we’re going to be the laughingstock of this whole municipality.”

In addition to recommending the postponement of the two roads to 2026, the staff report also recommended including additional funds in the 2026 budget for the full reconstruction and hardsurfacing of Firehall and Beaconsfield, as well as for the reconstruction and asphalt paving of Curries Road.

The resolution failed. With that, Smith said staff needed some direction.

“If you don’t agree with what staff is recommending, give us clear direction about what you want. This is our best advice for these specific projects,” he said.

Couwenberg then put forward a motion that “council direct staff to set up a committee comprised of two councillors, and the appropriate staff and consultants to determine the most cost effective and appropriate reconstruction processes before moving with the gravel road conversion program.”

“I am not convinced that a committee is something that will help us get to a solution on this,” replied Smith, who also earlier in the meeting said it was highly unusual to not have an engineer involved in these types of projects.

Councillors ultimately deferred a decision to a later meeting.

As if that wasn’t enough, at the meeting council also received a petition from the Free Reformed Church of Oxford County requesting a section of Pleasant Valley Road be paved.