Posted by Sudbury Northern Life Reporter Bill Bradley
City councillors continue to press city staff about roads.
At the priorities meeting last Wednesday, the politicians asked for explanations about area roadwork.
Ward 10 Coun. Frances Caldarelli pressed senior city manager of construction services, Kevin Shaw, about how roads are inspected.
“When we give out tenders, do we ensure how high the curbs are in the contract? Do we ensure how much material is excavated in the road bed? Do we have adequate inspection?” she asked.
Shaw replied that contracts do indicate how the job is to be performed. Regular inspectors are supplemented by temporary inspectors in the summer.
“We take samples from sites of concrete and asphalt and we test them in our lab,” said Shaw.
Caldarelli asked if the city contract stipulates that copies of the invoices for materials are presented to city staff.
Shaw replied that the inspectors take “tickets” from contractors which tells them what quantities of materials are used on the road work.
Caldarelli said her concerns arose over the fact that some roads seem to last much longer than newer roads and she receives many calls about this. She has even seen that some curbs vary in height.
Shaw replied that roads can deteriorate faster when the ground over which they are built is more prone to heaving or that a process called reflective cracking can occur.
“We are experimenting with forms of asphalt where cracking occurs less,” he said.
Ward 2 Coun. Jacques Barbeau asked about whether the city can get longer warranties on road work.
“In southern Ontario they are getting four to five year warranties. Why can’t we?” he asked.
Shaw said a year ago the city had only a year-long warranty.
“Now we have two-year warranties and we do call contractors back if we are not satisfied with some of the work,” he said.
Ward 4 Coun. Evelyn Dutrisac supplied Northern Life with a long list of needed roadwork at another city council meeting recently.
“Roads in the Donovan needing work are: Kathleen Street, Elm Street West, Frood Road and Beatty Street. No work has been done here since the city’s amalgamation and they are important arterial roads,” said Dutrisac.
Some of the roads in Azilda needing work, according to Dutrisac are: Ellen, Montcalm, Poulin, St. Jean, St. Albert, Charlebois and Ste. Agnes amongst others.
Caldarelli bemoaned the sorry state of South Bay Road by Lake Ramsey.
“It is worse than a camp road,” said Caldarelli.
Roads manager Robert Falcioni said that part of that road had been paved.
“We just don’t have all the dollars, but we are using technology to try and stretch what money we do have,” said Falcioni.
Even Rodriguez had a pet road that needed help from city crews.
“What about Fielding Road? It has got to be the worst road. There are many businesses located there that pay high taxes to us. Yet their road is a mess,” said the mayor.
Falcioni said there was to be sewer and water work done there in the next few years and city crews were waiting to combine their roads work with that expected project.
Cimino said a problem was a lack of firms bidding on city projects, driving up costs.
Falcioni said his department was working on getting projects approved and the tenders out earlier in the year.
“There are only two paving contractors and two paving companies in town.
Hopefully, the declining economy may cause prices to come down and free up more labour to get the work done by contractors,” said Falcioni.
