Muskoka Road 14

Muskoka Road 14 (Fraserburg Road)

Road Upgrades and Improvements

June, 2023 - Community Update

A report was brought to the Engineering and Public Works Committee in June. To view the full report, please visit our website

May, 2023 - Community Update

A verbal update to the Engineering and Public Works Committee in May, video can be found here http://video.isilive.ca/muskoka/PW-6-2023%202023-05-17.mp4.html, and the discussion begins at 12:50.

Project overview and status

The District started the project to reconstruct Muskoka Road 14 (Fraserburg Road) in the vicinity of Fraserburg Bridge as a result of severe flooding that occurred in 2019.

This flooding resulted in the complete closure of the road with residents (including vulnerable members of the community) being cut off from both emergency and essential services.

The project's purpose is to find a solution to mitigate future impacts of the high water levels and their effect on the roadway as it directly relates to public health and safety a high priority. The estimated cost for construction is $1.44M.

Status of Project

• Preliminary design, consultation and final design work are complete.
• Tender for construction is complete.
• Construction is planned to start once any required permits are in place.
• The community will be updated on progress throughout the project.

Design Considerations and Environmental Safeguards

The primary goal for these road improvements is to protect against washouts, loss of river bank and, ultimately, the roadbed. Without this protection, there is a risk that road sections would be impassable for both residents and emergency vehicles, even after the floodwaters recede.

The final design will help avoid emergency work to reconstruct the road following any future storm/flood event. As a result, property owners located further down the road will not endure lengthy access restrictions to their property. This design will also improve access for first responders and community safety and well-being.

The District is committed to mitigating environmental impact during road improvements or maintenance projects, and we follow all regulations required by the Ministry of the Environment, Conversation and Parks (MECP) (Species at Risk Ontario).

Before construction begins, significant investigation and work behind the scenes take place to ensure the District is following all required regulations and, prior to finalizing this contract award, we are working with regulatory authorities to ensure all required permits are in place before work proceeds. Approvals for this work are currently being reviewed by the MECP and the District is working with the MECP, professional biologists and local volunteer groups to minimize the impact on the natural environment while still ensuring public health and safety are maintained.

As part of the District’s commitment to protecting the environment, the following mitigation efforts have been included in the MR14 project:

1. Restrict of the timing of construction works to outside of Species at Risk (SAR) nesting timelines to avoid any impacts to nest sites;
2. Provide training by qualified biologists to construction contractors on SAR awareness, protection and reporting requirements;
3. Provide oversight by a qualified biologist to minimize impacts during construction as well as address and initiate mitigative efforts in a timely manner;
4. Establish future nesting locations as an alternative to seasonal roadside nesting locations; and
5. Collaborate with volunteer groups to monitor and maintain these future nesting sites and report these results to the MECP.

The final road design balances safety risks while respecting and mitigating natural environment impacts and providing value to District residents and business owners.

The District's Muskoka Road 14 Mitigation Measures and Plan can be accessed here.

Community Consultation

Public consultation took place throughout the design process; all feedback and issues raised by the public were considered as part of the final stage of the design process.

We have engaged the appropriate design consultants to arrive at a solution that is not only technically feasible to address the issue of maintaining the road to the greatest extent possible but also minimizes environmental impact.

Updates will be provided to the community as the project continues, including notices to residents. Project questions can be directed to publicworks@muskoka.on.ca or call 705-645-6764.