It’s been a big year for construction and tackling critical infrastructure in Northumberland County, say officials.
From road resurfacing to culvert work and major reconstruction efforts, a number of critical infrastructure projects have either wrapped up or are nearing the finish line for this year.
“Our roads, bridges and culverts form the backbone of local connectivity and economic growth,” noted Denise Marshall, director of public works. “This year, we’ve made significant progress on projects that enhance safety, accessibility and long-term sustainability across the county.
“These improvements help ensure Northumberland continues to thrive as a connected and resilient community.”
Here’s the latest on the individual projects:
WELCOME INTERSECTION UPGRADES:
Described as one of this season’s most significant safety improvements, work on the Welcome intersection in the Municipality of Port Hope in the County Road 2, 10 and 74 area is wrapping up.
Upgrades focused on improving traffic flow and pedestrian safety and additions like two new pedestrian crossings on 74 and the south side of County Road 2, as well as new sidewalks, curbs, upgraded signage, and enhanced streetlighting to improve visibility, explained county staff.
Intersection construction for this year is set to wrap this week, and final asphalt and line painting will be tackled in the spring.
COUNTY ROAD 64/PRINCE EDWARD STREET BRIGHTON:
The multi-million-dollar municipal-county shared County Road 64/Prince Edward Street reconstruction project entered its second year in 2025. This year’s work focused on installation of new water mains, sanitary lines and storm sewers from Harbour to Stephen streets.
With curbs and asphalt nearing completion, the road is expected to reopen next week, and over the winter, the county said it will review progress and refine plans ahead of next year’s continued construction, which will stretch north to Main Street.
CULVERT REHABILITATION COUNTY ROAD 25:
On County Road 25, south of Warkworth, the county said it adopted an innovative approach to culvert renewal using a trenchless rehabilitation technique.
Instead of a full replacement, crews relined the existing culvert with a geopolymer mortar, forming a new, durable pipe within the old structure, explained staff, adding that this method delivered multiple benefits with no digging or road closures, as well as reduced costs and time.
This work is supposed to extend service life by about 40 years.
BURNLEY BRIDGE REPLACEMENT:
Construction crews are nearing this finish line on work for the replacement of Burnley Bridge on County Road 29 in the Village of Burnley, in the Municipality of Trent Hills.
Originally constructed in 1950, the bridge had reached the end of its service life, and the new structure features a two-lane precast concrete rigid frame bridge, steel beam guide rails for added roadside protection, and reconstructed approaches to improve alignment and safety.
Burnley Bridge reopened last week.
Meanwhile, a permanent speed reduction has also been implemented in the area.
ADDITIONAL ROAD MAINTENANCE EFFORTS:
Northumberland County is responsible for more than 500 kilometres’ worth of roads and to help extend lifespans and reduce long-term repairs, a number of other areas also underwent work this year.
These efforts included about 10 kilometres’ worth of micro-surfacing on County Roads 9, 22 and 74 in the townships of Hamilton and Alnwick/Haldimand, and about 15 km of crack sealing across Hamilton, Alnwick/Haldimand and Brighton.
The county also tackled about 20 km of surface treatment on its roads and support for more than 100 km of municipal surface treatments, noted staff.
“Infrastructure renewal is never complete – it’s an ongoing process of investment and innovation,” added Marshall. “Construction season can be disruptive, and we thank everyone for their patience and co-operation as we deliver these important upgrades.”
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)