The City of Kitchener is taking steps to address rough roads and potholes with a more-than $6 million investment from the provincial government.
On Monday, Kitchener council approved doubling their road resurfacing budget in 2027, from $6.4 million to $12.8 million. The injection of funding comes from Kitchener being granted $8 million through the province’s Building Faster Fund for hitting its housing targets for three straight years.
“One of the biggest complaints that I’ve heard from residents has been related to road infrastructure, and this addresses all of that,” said Kitchener Councillor Paul Singh.
Roadways were a significant issue over the winter season, with more than 200 cm of snow having fallen on Waterloo Region, leading to plenty of work for road maintenance crews.
The winter season began early, with the first significant snowfall recorded in early November. In part because of all that snow, regional police have received reports of 4,600 crashes this past winter season.
“The challenging winter and the potholes that were created by it were a priority for our residents. This clearly demonstrates that both council and staff are responding,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.
The remaining $1.6 million of the Building Faster Fund will go towards the replacement of an existing culvert in the Hidden Valley neighbourhood of Kitchener to facilitate development.
