The town of Lakeshore plans to spend more money on roads.
A Road Needs Study, an in-depth look at the road system, has just been completed and includes a number of recommendations for the next five years.
Because of the future needs laid-out in the report, Councillor Steven Wilder says the town will begin setting aside $10.5-million annually to maintain and replace roads as part of a Roads Management Plan.
"We rely heavily, as do many municipalities, on grants from both the federal and provincial level and we've heard about numerous changes, specifically at the provincial level, that are going to effect grants and funding allocations," he says. "So I think it's important that we start to prepare and plan ahead and save for the potential loss of funding."
With over 900-kilometres of roads, Lakeshore has the biggest road network of all municipalities in Windsor-Essex.
Wilder says the study goes past just patching potholes.
"This Road Needs Study helps us look at the bigger picture. It's about looking at what's best, what's going to give us the best bang for our buck. That's a very important part of this Road Needs Study, in conjunction with our Asset Management Plan, which spells out how much do we need to save on an annual basis," he says.
The Roads Management Plan will look at needs in the town over the next five years.
Wilder says Lakeshore is booming when it comes to residential and commercial development and it's important the roads keep up with that growth.
"It's used more frequently than probably any other infrastructure on a daily basis, aside from maybe the sewer and the water lines, but it's a very key part of continuing to keep the growth going and heading in the right direction," he says. "We've been very fortunate that development has come to Lakeshore. We've been working with the developers to make sure that it's planned properly."