Barrie is aiming to invest a further $103.6 million into infrastructure this year – up 43.6 per cent over last year’s forecast of $72.2 million.

Projects like the sewage treatment plant expansion, work at the landfill site, land for a new police station, and several major watermain upgrades drove costs $28.4 million over last year’s projections.

As well, $128.5 million in work to take place this year is being paid for out of money set aside last year, for a total of $232 million. Some key projects started last year are continuing this year: the widening of Simcoe Street and the widening of Big Bay Point Road, including the twinning of the concrete bridge east of Yonge Street.

This year’s Top 10 projects are:
•    water pollution control centre phase 2 expansion: $21.9 million
•    landfill leachate system improvements and re-engineering: $7.4 million
•    bio-solids facility expansion (related to sewage treatment project): $5.5 million
•    new police headquarters: $3.1 million for a site
•    Harvie Road watermain, County Road 27 to Essa Road, $2.9 million
•    Mapleview Drive East widening, Bayview Drive to Welham Road: $2.7 million
•    Harvie Road booster pumping station: $2.5 million
•    Lakeshore Drive trunk sanitary sewer, from the sewage treatment plant to Toronto Street: $2.2 million
•    Lakeshore/Tiffin/Essa/Bradford intersection: $2.2 million
•    Simcoe Street, Mary to Mulcaster: $1.9 million

Also in the plan, but years away, are improvements to the Highway 400 overpasses – with each project expected to cost between $10 and $20 million.

The first project to occur is on the Duckworth Street underpass; $1.3 million in work is to be done this year, followed by $5.8 million next year and finishing off in 2010 with $5.8 million more in work.

The last structure to be improved would be the $19-million (in today’s dollars) Bayfield Street project, which would start in 2015.