Town still trying to fix Concession 6 connection to Niagara Falls

Niagara-on-the-Lake is preparing to spend more than $2 million to repair Concession 6, a prerequisite to the thoroughfare possibly being transferred to Niagara Region.  

It is a road that in the past has been a throughway from Virgil to Niagara Falls, and which was well-used by St. Davids residents, but in recent years was closed awaiting repairs to Mewburn Bridge, which connects Concession 6 to Niagara Falls. The bridge finally reopened in 2019, but then the road closed for repairs, severing the connection.

A town staff report requests another $250,000 on top of funds approved in 2021 and 2022 to complete the first phase of the project, from Warner Road to the Niagara Falls border. 

But an overhaul of the road was put on hold last month after work started in May — due to “unforeseen site conditions requiring design changes and additional costs,” said the staff report. 

The town is recommending a reconstruction with open ditches, paved shoulders, and/or bicycle lanes, reads an explanation contained in the budget package presented to council last week. 

The second phase of work, from Warner to York Road, is a continuation of the first phase, and is the most expensive line item in the town’s proposed capital budget, coming in at $1.9 million.

Work will include road widening and re-alignment, with better sight lines.

More than $1.4 million of the $1.9-million second phase is proposed to be paid for through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund.  

Rome D’Angelo, the town’s director of operations, said Concession 6 needs to be reconstructed to a regional standard in order to facilitate future discussions about uploading the road to the region. 

This would also need to be co-ordinated with Niagara Falls reconstructing their portion of Concession 6 to Mountain Road, said D’Angelo, who added the road was identified in the region’s 2017 transportation master plan as a future regional road connection.  

He said there have been discussions about a transfer, “but the region won’t have any official discussions regarding a transfer unless they are receiving the road constructed to a regional standard.”  

Coun. Gary Burroughs asked about the project during last week’s budget review committee meeting, and told The Local on Tuesday that he has concerns with the timing of the project. 

The stretch of road that has been closed since construction started in May has also resulted in there being no access to Mewburn Bridge, a main access to the Queen Elizabeth Way, which was replaced and reopened in 2019 after more than 10 years of it being out of service.

“Why would we not leave it open for summer — and then in the fall do the restoration?” he asked. 

He also wants to know when the stalled work will resume and be completed, which he says remains a concern for area residents who use that route.  

D’Angelo told The Local Tuesday that earlier in the day he took part in a meeting about the project with the contractor, Walker Construction.  

“Right now we’re in the process of reviewing their design,” said D’Angelo.  

He expects more information will be available in the coming days about when work will resume.  

“I’m hoping by the end of the week we will have some kind of direction on where we’re going with this,” said D’Angelo.  

The town’s budget review committee was to meet again Wednesday morning, Oct. 4.