County Road 49 Rehabilitation
County Road 49, one of the largest entry-points into Prince Edward County from Highway 401, has reached the end of it
County Road 49 has reached the end of its natural lifespan due to severe joint and slab failures, cracking, and surface polishing.s natural lifespan. It consistently ranks as one of the worst roads in Ontario by CAA.
Opened in 1966, County Road 49 spans 18.4 kilometres, of which 17.3 kilometres is concrete pavement. The road connects Picton, the municipality’s largest settlement area, with the Bay of Quinte Skyway Bridge. The provincial government downloaded the roadway to the municipality in 1998.
The total cost to rehabilitate County Road 49, including the urban portion of Picton Main Street, is $52.3 million.
- Provincial portion (38.2%):
— $19,993,424.94 from the Housing-Enabling Core Services Fund - Municipal portion (14.9%):
— $7.8 million, which was approved in the 2024 budget, for reconstructing the road surface of the urban portion of County Road 49 (phase 3 Picton Main Street reconstruction) - Unfunded portion (46.9%):
— $24.5 million, which the municipality needs to fund through federal government sources and/or private sector partners
Get Involved!
Mayor Ferguson, the County Road 49 Working Group, and staff continue to work diligently to secure funding from the federal government in order to bridge the gap and move the project forward.
We need your help! The municipality is encouraging residents, visitors, and regular users of the road to share how the condition of County Road 49 has impacted them. Fill out the short survey and add your comments below and they will be shared with the federal government officials.
Documents
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County Road 49 Backgrounder
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Government of Canada Pre-Budget Submission August 2025 (1.46 MB) (pdf)
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Advocacy Letters
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Letter to Minister Mackinnon -- September 19 2025 (442 KB) (pdf)
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Letter to Minister Freeland -- September 15 2025 (5.55 MB) (pdf)
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Letter to Premier Ford -- August 12 2025 (321 KB) (pdf)
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Letter to Minister Freeland -- July 18 2025 (731 KB) (pdf)
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Letter to Minister Freeland -- May 29 2025 (179 KB) (pdf)
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Letters of Support
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Quinte Home Builders Association Letter of Support (215 KB) (pdf)
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Prince Edward County Chamber of Commerce Letter of Support (162 KB) (pdf)
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Picton BIA Letter of Support (137 KB) (pdf)
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Prince Edward Federation of Agriculture Letter of Support (116 KB) (pdf)
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Parrish and Heimbecker Ltd. Letter of Support (157 KB) (pdf)
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Picton Home Hardware Letter of Support (149 KB) (pdf)
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CAA Letter of Support (165 KB) (pdf)
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Base31 Letter of Support (97.9 KB) (pdf)
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Quinte Health Letter of Support (369 KB) (pdf)
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Robert Quaiff Letter of Support (645 KB) (pdf)
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Dr. Steve Blanchard Letter of Support (43 KB) (pdf)
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My most direct access to Main Street in Picton is via County Road 49. Unfortunately, the condition of the road is so deteriorated that it is unsafe for my small vehicle. The risk of damage is too great, and like many other residents, I am forced to take a much longer route along County Road 5. Many large trucks also avoid County Rd 49 resulting in more wear and tear on County Rd 15 and County Rd 5.
Taking the longer detour wastes more gas, increasing my household expenses while also contributing to higher carbon emissions. This runs directly counter to Canada’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gases and addressing climate change.
Unlike residents, tourists and visitors are not always aware of the poor condition of County Rd 49 and will often use it as their main entry point into the County. This can create unsafe driving experiences, potential damage to their vehicles, and a negative first impression of our community. Considering how vital tourism is to Prince Edward County, this poses a serious risk to the local economy.
Fact - Municipality has neglected the road since 1998 and now they are crying foul. Ontario gave you $20M and you have $7.8M. If you can't fix 18km of road for $27.8M, resign and put people in place who can. Stop your whining and fix the road that you let get in this state
The worst aspect of the condition of Regional Road 49 is the negative impact it is having on our tourist businesses. We have a number of friends who will not bring their rigs down this road. Our businesses suffer.
County Rd. 49 is a disaster. It should be a provincial highway, gateway to PEC. The Ontario government should pay for the re-build. Tyler Allsop should get off this sweet backbench and get at least 75% funding to pay for this, if not all of it. Nice if our Liberal MP can get us some cash, but highways are constitutionally a provincial thing. We, The County, need to shame the province to pay for the rebuild. All of it. We need billboards along the road to shame Allsop and Ford for the condition of the highway. Let it fall apart and blame the province. Reduce speeds, and blame Allsopp/Ford. This is a provincial highway that should never have been downloaded, especially in the terrible condition it was in. This should not be something The County should be paying for to fix. I'm hopeful our Liberal MP will be able to find a way to contribute money to fix this, but never forget that this was a disaster imposed by the province and that our local MPP has woefully failed to step up to fix.
Mike Harris and the Province of Ontario 'gifted' (i.e., downloaded) PECounty with Highway 49 in 1998, with previous little financial support for its upkeep. Therefore, I believe the Province has a moral obligation to pay a substantial amount for the highway's remediation.
It would be a diplomatic and show governing strength if the Municipality could obtain a fair portion of repair funds from Picton Terminals. No need to say anything further on this point as we all know.