Millwood road work takes its toll

[attach]3729[/attach]Leaside residents and business owners are wringing their hands over the prolonged state of disrepair on Millwood Road.

But according to Ward 26 councillor John Parker, the bumpy ride will soon come to an end.

For the past two years drivers traveling along a section of Millwood Road between Bayview Avenue and Sutherland Drive have had to navigate over temporary road repairs instead of cruising over a properly paved thoroughfare.

“Right now we have a stretch of Millwood that is a series of patches,” said Parker in a mid-February interview.

Mac Racioppo, owner of the Millwood Shoe Repair, says he has talked to Parker about how the ongoing construction and poor driving
conditions are hurting his business.

“When the road was closed my business was quite a bit down,” Racioppo said. “You can see that it’s less money coming in.”

Parker said that in 2009 the road was cut open to allow city workers to do repairs on local sewers and water mains. However, the problems turned out to be more serious than anticipated.

[attach]3730[/attach]Since fixing the unexpected damages would exceed the scope of the original project’s contract, money for the additional repairs was put on hold for another budget year. In the meantime, other utility companies such as Toronto Hydro were informed of the opportunity to do any necessary work in the area.

It’s frustrating that when one project appears finished, another one begins, locals say.

“It seems like every six months they dig again,” Racioppo said.

Parker noted that the city does not want to start paving until all the work beneath the road surface is finished.

“It would be a waste of taxpayers dollars to do a complete resurfacing job in view of the fact that it will be undone by the next surface cut that’s going to take place within months,” Parker said. “That’s been the story for the last few years.

“That’s why Millwood Road right now is a series of incisions and patches.”

Parker insists that every effort is made to coordinate activities among the various utility companies.

And he said the road should be permanently paved by this summer, after Enbridge finishes their work in the area. Afterward, a standard five-year moratorium on any further roadwork will be in place on Millwood Road.

“We will all be glad to see it done and we will all be glad to benefit from the after-effects of the entire project,” Parker said.