DAMAGED ROAD FACES LENGTHY CLOSURE

Essa Township officials say a stretch of road severely damaged by dump trucks in recent months will remain closed until repairs can be performed this spring.

The 9th Line between Highway 89 and 5 Sideroad, just northwest of Cookstown, has been closed since Feb. 9 after it was deemed unsafe.

Essa CAO Colleen Healey-Dowdall previously told Simcoe.com the section of road was "shredded" by dump trucks hauling gravel and fill without proper authorization.

Staff was seeking council approval to include $650,000 in the 2023 budget to reconstruct the section of road.

The township's manager of public works, Michael Mikael, said the road will remain open only to local traffic until the work is completed.

Healey-Dowdall also previously told Simcoe.com the township will be addressing the issue with local gravel-pit operators to ensure the taxpayers are not stuck with these costs.

Council was scheduled to pass the budget at its March 22 meeting.

The township has struggled to prevent dump trucks from damaging local roads over the years.

In March 2019, an enforcement blitz by the OPP on the 5th Sideroad of Essa, just west of County Road 10, resulted in charges for more than two dozen truck drivers.

Half-load season in Essa is from March 1 to May 15. Its purpose is to prevent the roads from getting damaged and deteriorating when the ground begins to thaw.