Norfolk County's roads, bridges and drainage systems need significant investment. That is not in dispute. The more important question is whether Norfolk is spending that money in the right order and whether enough is being done to protect infrastructure before it reaches the point of complete failure.
A review of Norfolk's current Public Works capital plan shows a major shift in how road funding is being allocated. Compared with the 2022 capital plan, full road reconstruction has increased by approximately $49 million, while bridge and culvert work has increased by approximately $22.7 million. At the same time, asphalt resurfacing has decreased by approximately $13.6 million, and surface treatment has decreased by approximately $4.2 million.
In simple terms, Norfolk is planning to spend much more rebuilding roads after they have deteriorated, while spending less on some of the lower-cost work that can help prevent roads from reaching that point.
Rebuilding is much more expensive
There are times when a complete road reconstruction is necessary. Underground water, sewer or drainage infrastructure may need replacement. The road base may have failed, or serious safety concerns may leave no practical alternative.
However, full reconstruction is one of the most expensive ways to deal with a road. Resurfacing and surface treatment generally allow a municipality to preserve more kilometres of road for every dollar spent. When that work is completed at the right time, a road may remain usable for many additional years.
When preventative maintenance is delayed, the road continues to deteriorate. Eventually, what could have been addressed through resurfacing or surface treatment may require the pavement, road base, drainage and sometimes underground infrastructure to be completely rebuilt.
That is why being frugal does not simply mean spending less. It means spending money at the right time to avoid a much larger bill later.
How are the decisions being made?
Norfolk's current ten-year Public Works capital plan totals approximately $409 million. About 95 per cent of that plan is intended for the renewal of roads, bridges, drainage systems and other existing infrastructure.
Most of this is not optional work. Norfolk has aging infrastructure, and many roads, bridges and culverts require serious attention. However, the public cannot easily see why one project is scheduled ahead of another or what information was used to make that decision.
Residents should be able to understand the condition of each road or bridge, the risk if the work is delayed, whether lower-cost repairs are still possible, whether the project is actually ready to begin and why it ranks ahead of other infrastructure needs.
Without that information, the capital plan becomes a long list of projects and dollar amounts rather than a clear set of priorities.
Use the same rules for every project
Norfolk should introduce a simple and public capital-priority system. Every major project should be evaluated using the same criteria and then placed into one of four basic priority groups.
1. Must be done
This category would include legally required work, immediate safety concerns and infrastructure at serious risk of failure. Examples could include an unsafe bridge, a failing culvert, an emergency access issue or work required by a regulatory order.
These projects should receive the highest priority because delaying them could create safety risks, legal consequences or much larger future costs.
2. Protect what we already own
This category would include preventative maintenance that extends the life of roads, bridges, buildings and other County assets. Examples include asphalt resurfacing, surface treatment, preventative bridge repairs and maintenance that stops water from damaging a structure.
This category is especially important because relatively modest spending today can prevent a much larger reconstruction or replacement cost later.
3. Improve services or support growth
These projects may increase capacity, improve efficiency, reduce operating costs or support new housing and employment. They can be valuable investments, particularly when they help Norfolk grow or reduce future operating expenses.
However, they should still be evaluated against the County's most urgent safety, regulatory and asset-maintenance needs.
4. Community enhancements
Community enhancements can still be worthwhile. New walkways, streetscape improvements, expanded parking areas and similar projects can improve quality of life and support local communities.
However, they should not move ahead of urgent safety work or necessary preventative maintenance simply because they are newer, more visible or more politically attractive.
Priority and readiness are not the same thing
A project may be important without being ready for construction. A bridge replacement may rank near the top because of its condition, but it may still require environmental approvals, property acquisition, engineering, design work or permits before construction can begin.
Norfolk should clearly show the readiness of each project. The status could identify whether the need has only been recognized, whether a condition assessment has been completed, whether design is underway, whether permits or property are still required, whether the project is ready to tender, whether it is under construction or whether it has been completed.
That would prevent projects from being placed into a construction year when there is little realistic chance the work will actually begin. It would also allow Council and the public to distinguish between an important future project and a project Norfolk is genuinely prepared to deliver.
Protect preventative maintenance
Whenever funding for resurfacing or surface treatment is reduced while reconstruction spending increases, Council should require a clear public explanation.
The question should be simple:
Are we rebuilding more roads because the condition data proves that reconstruction is necessary—or because preventative maintenance was delayed for too long?
There may be valid reasons for many of the planned reconstructions. Some roads may already be beyond the point where resurfacing is practical, while others may require underground infrastructure work at the same time.
But Norfolk cannot afford to continually allow maintainable roads to become failed roads. Once that happens, taxpayers are left paying for the most expensive option.
A better way forward
Norfolk's infrastructure needs are real, and many difficult decisions will have to be made. The County cannot fix every road, bridge, culvert and drainage problem at once.
That is why the County should not measure success by how much money appears in a ten-year capital forecast. Success should be measured by whether the highest-priority projects are completed at the right time, at a reasonable cost and before smaller problems turn into major failures.
The goal should be straightforward: fix dangerous infrastructure first, protect the assets we already own, complete projects that are actually ready and do not allow lower-cost maintenance to be crowded out by more expensive reconstruction.
That is not cutting infrastructure spending.
It is managing it better.
Norfolk's own Asset Management Plan supports this approach
Norfolk County's 2025 Asset Management Plan reports that the average condition of the paved road network has a Pavement Condition Index of 79. It also notes that most arterial roads are in Good or Very Good condition, reflecting their higher-priority maintenance schedules, while local roads show a broader range of conditions.
That matters because it reinforces a basic principle of asset management: roads that receive consistent maintenance tend to remain in better condition for longer.
The challenge is making sure Norfolk identifies and preserves maintainable roads before they deteriorate to the point where much more expensive reconstruction becomes necessary.
If you would like to see the source material for yourself, I encourage you to read Norfolk County's full 2025 Asset Management Plan .