April 2014
| Business World Magazine | 153
of 120 bridges and large culverts. All 120 are
inspected every two years and anything that’s
identified as in need of repair, or in need of
eventual replacement, is put on a list that’s
updated every two years.
A “fairly-detailed” 10-year plan exists for
road and bridge renewal, Shepherd said,
and one particular area of the county near
Kemptville – which is home to four elemen-
tary schools, two high schools, three parks
and two hotels – is the source of much of the
long-term growth the county anticipates.
A stretch of road in that area is being
looked at for possible expansion to four lanes,
and officials closely monitor traffic growth
and generate detailed estimates on road con-
ditions and required upgrades whenever a
significant residential or commercial devel-
opment is initiated.
“That’s really the only area of the county
that’s pushing us that way,” Shepherd said.
“It’s nice in a sense because we know where
we are and what our needs are, and we’re not
bouncing all over. Still, it’s a bit of a balanc-
ing act. There are 10 regional representatives
and they all need to see some action in their
own neighborhoods, so we get a bit of a bal-
ancing act.”
Aside from the bureaucracy issues, Shep-
herd and his team have another persistent
foe: weather.
The combined county seat of Brockville
receives measurable snowfall in eight of 12
months each year, on average, and the tem-
