Municipal Roads and Sidewalks

The Public Works Department is responsible for the repair and maintenance of over 300 km of roads including shoulders, ditches, bridges and culverts and the completion of various capital construction projects.

Their tasks include snow plowing and salting of roadways and sidewalks at all hours throughout the winter months, as well as patching of potholes and grading of roads in the spring. 

Roadside maintenance in the summer includes grass mowing, tree trimming, clearing of debris in the municipal ditches and the installation of culverts. 

Half-Load Restrictions

Each spring, vehicles are restricted to carrying a maximum of five tonnes per axle on the weaker roads within the United Counties of SDG, including roads within the Township of South Stormont. 

These restrictions usually take place from early March until May and roads that are under restrictions will be identified with appropriate signage. 

The Township will advertise when half-loads restrictions are in place on our website, social media, and by roadside signage.

Streetlights

The Township of South Stormont is responsible for the operation and maintenance of over 700 streetlights. Township staff administer the program and maintain the system through the services of several lighting maintenance contractors.

Report Streetlight Issue

Gravel Roads

The Municipality has approximately 110 km of gravel roads. Each year approximately 1/3 of all gravel roads receive additional gravel. Typically, the annual maintenance cycle alternates between the Township’s east, central, and west locations. Over time gravel breaks down and new gravel is required to maintain the road base. The application of maintenance gravel ensures a consistent driving surface, as well as a proper road structure to support vehicles. 

Grading of Gravel Roads

Grading gravel roads is required to establish and maintain a crown and aid in proper roadway drainage. Grading is used to repair washouts, potholes and washboards. Grading typically occurs in the spring and fall (where there is moisture present) to aid in dust control and compaction of the material. The township grades gravel roads on a periodic basis throughout the season in order to maintain proper drainage of the road surface and improve the driving surface. Road grading is carried out only after the frost is out of the ground and the gravel base has dried up sufficiently to ensure an effective gravel maintenance program. Grading too early will only make road conditions worse.

Dust Control

Dust control is applied in the spring after roads have been graded, fresh gravel applied and proper crown and drainage has been established. The township contracts dust control services through the public tendering process. Dust control is applied on all gravel roads. Dust control typically applied is calcium chloride/salt brine with a minimum 20% chloride. These chlorides are effective at controlling dust because they attract water from the air, thereby keeping the roadway slightly moist at all times. Dust control is used to both limit dust and help to compact our gravel roads by forming a crust to hold the road fines into the aggregate surface. Depending on weather conditions, the first application of dust control begins mid-May to the end of June, once staff completes road grading or gravel resurfacing.

Sidewalks

Public Works undertakes an inspection of the sidewalk inventory each spring after winter frost action and plowing operations. This visual inspection creates a listing of significant defects and areas of poor condition. This information is used in developing a summer work program, allocating the funding resources for repair of existing inventory.