Hampstead's Ellerdale Road: Patch or Replace?

It's March 23rd.

Welcome in.

This is Canada News Today, where local news meets AI.

I'm Corey with the story.

Hamstead is moving ahead with repaving Ellerdale Road, notorious for its potholes, and named

one of Montreal Island's worst roads last year by.

CAA Quebec drivers often swerve to dodge the craters, risking oncoming traffic.

This month, the town signed a nearly $1 million contract to resurface it, but they'll

only patch the concrete slab buried under the asphalt.

Instead of removing it, former mayor Bill Steinberg is urging a rethink, warning the

clay soil beneath causes slaps to shift and to grade over time.

He points to Fleet Road, which needed fixes every two or three years until the town dug

out its concrete base nearly 20 years ago and swapped it.

4.

Crush Stone

That surface is still holding strong.

Steinberg predicts crews will return within a couple years if they skip full removal,

calling it a cheap shortcut.

Current mayor Jeremy Levi counters that engineers insist the slab shields the underground

water main from vehicle vibrations and tampering could.

Cause a rupture, since Fleet Road lacks one.

Levi is confident the repairs will keep it smooth for at least 15 years.

Engineering professor Eric LeChan's Tremblay explains these concrete bases were standard

on Montreal Island from the 1940s through the 70s for durability amid booming traffic,

though they're tough to maintain long term compared to Crush Stone.

They may offer better protection for pipes, but ideally towns remove them when possible

despite higher costs.

Meanwhile, estimates for fully excavating Ellerdale topped $3 million so the town prioritizes

safety and speed.

Private should see relief soon as work ramps up.