Red Hill inquiry costing $640,000 in its early days
Published October 16, 2019 at 6:18 pm
Hamilton’s General Issues Committee met Wednesday (Oct. 16) and looked at a report that outlines how much the Red Hill Valley Parkway inquiry is costing the city so far.
Hamilton’s General Issues Committee met Wednesday (Oct. 16) and looked at a report that outlines how much the Red Hill Valley Parkway inquiry is costing the city so far.
Earlier this year, a report from 2013, carried out by Tradewind Scientific, on the friction of the Red Hill Valley Parkway (RHVP) surface that indicated the asphalt on “nearly all areas of the [RHVP] have friction values below or well below” the recommended level.
The report prompted the city to immediately lower the speed limit on the expressway to 80 km/h and to expedite the resurfacing of the roadway, which was completed this past summer.
As to why the report, which was dated November 2013, was never brought to light until earlier this year, the city launched an inquiry to find out.
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So far, this inquiry has cost the city $639,498.02, according to the report before the GIC this week. The cost, the report says, is to be paid from the Tax Stabilization Reserve.
It’s still early days in the process as preparations are underway for the public hearing, according to a report to council from Lenczner Slaght, the city’s counsel in this matter, regarding the status of the judicial inquiry.
The Lenczner Slaght report points out that they are in the process of determining a venue for the public hearing, compiling a list of witnesses and obtaining documentation. So costs for the inquiry, to be sure, will continue to mount.
Since 2012, there have been seven fatalities on the Red Hill. Since the repaving and new signage has been installed and the speed limit has been lowered, the police services board heard last week that there have been no deaths.
Photo courtesy Perry Quan via Flickr.
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