Region of Peel awards $4.4 million contract for Mayfield Road widening project

Road to be widened between Hurontario Street and Heart Lake Road

By Zachary Roman

The Region of Peel is moving forward with the process of widening Mayfield Road, the busy thoroughfare that also serves as the border between Brampton and Caledon.

At Regional Council's March 9 meeting, Councillors approved on consent a recommendation to award a contract to SNC Lavalin for consulting engineering services to widen Mayfield Road between Hurontario Street and Heart Lake Road.

SNC Lavalin will be paid $4,400,014 for detailed design, contract administration, and construction inspection services related to the road widening. 

Councillors also approved on consent a recommendation to increase the capital project budget for the road widening by $1,904,782, bringing it from $2,647,232 up to $4,552,014.

The capital project to widen Mayfield Road between Hurontario Street and Heart Lake Road was originally approved in the Region's 2021 capital budget. 

To complete the project, a request for proposals was sent out for consulting engineering firms.

According to a staff report from Olek Garbos, Project Manager of Road Design and Construction at the Region, SNC Lavalin represented the best value for the region based on a combination of technical proficiency and price.

The report goes on to note that since the original budget for the road widening project was completed in 2020 based on pre-COVID-19 prices, it did not account for “considerable cost increases due to COVID-19 and subsequent inflationary pressures.”

This is why the budget increase was requested for the project. Another reason the cost increased, according to the region, was changes in provincial laws related to excess soil management — additional investigation, testing and analysis is now required.

Any time a best value bid exceeds the budget allowance for a project, the matter must be brought to Regional Council for approval.

According to the Region, Mayfield Road will eventually be widened to six lanes between Chinguacousy and Heart Lake roads. The widening between Hurontario Street and Heart Lake Road is phase two of that project.

Garbos' staff report noted that if the awarding of the road widening contract was delayed, current and future road capacity needs would not be met.

“Drivers will experience greater traffic congestion and longer travel times, and the movement of goods will be impacted,” wrote Garbos.