Rural Roads Resurfacing Program 2026

2026 Rural Roads Tar and Chip Program (Multiple Project Locations)

The city conducts an annual surface treatment on rural roads within the city. This annual road surface treatment ensures the city’s roads meet minimum road maintenance requirements, ensuring public safety and unimpeded pedestrian and vehicular access.

To support this objective, and following Council’s budget approval, the City has issued a Request for Tender (RFT) for the application of surface treatment (tar and chip) on selected rural roads throughout the municipality, as identified in the accompanying project location map.

The project scope includes pulverizing the existing identified sections of the rural road sections/surfaces to a depth of 200 mm (8 inches), followed by regrading and compaction. The work also includes the placement of 20 mm Granular “A” at Cataract Road and River Street, and 25 mm Granular “A” at the Thorold New Lakeview Cemetery Road. The rehabilitated road surfaces will then be finished with a double-layer tar-and-chip surface treatment.

Where applicable, gravel shoulders on both sides of the roadway shall be restored to match the elevation of the finished roadway surface. The scope of work also includes adjusting water valves, maintenance holes, and other appurtenances to finish grade, as well as pavement line painting at the project locations (River Street).

All work shall be carried out in accordance with the latest version of the Niagara Peninsula Contract Standard Document (NPCSD), OPSS.MUNI 304, and all applicable Federal, Provincial, Regional, and City of Thorold standards, specifications, and procedures.

The scope also includes, but is not limited to, the completion and fulfillment of all requirements associated with this project.

Analysis

City Staff routinely conduct roadway inspections and pavement condition assessments across the municipal road network to ensure safe and effective operation. These inspections include visual evaluations and pavement scanning to determine the Pavement Condition Index (PCI) for each roadway segment. The PCI provides a standardized rating of pavement conditions on a scale from 0 to 100, where lower values represent pavements in poor condition and higher values indicate pavements in excellent condition.

In addition to pavement condition, Staff also consider the condition, age, and remaining service life of underground infrastructure, including watermains, sanitary sewers, and storm sewers, as part of the overall evaluation process. This integrated approach ensures that roadway resurfacing decisions are coordinated with underground infrastructure needs, minimizing the risk of premature road disturbance following rehabilitation.

The PCI ratings, combined with the condition of underground infrastructure, asset life expectancy, and available budget allocations, enable Staff to prioritize roadway rehabilitation and maintenance in a strategic and cost-effective manner. This prioritization ensures optimal allocation of resources while maintaining the safety, reliability, and longevity of the City’s transportation network.

Project Location

Using these data, the staff identified and prioritized the following rural roads as the highest priority for the 2026 Tar and Chip Program.

**Denotes visually inspected and identified roads.