We’re excited to share some long-overdue good news for Richmond residents: Ottawa is finally making meaningful investments in local road infrastructure. After more than two decades of chronic underfunding, 2025 marks a turning point—thanks to a dedicated budget for local road resurfacing, something we haven’t seen since amalgamation back in 2001.
A New Era for Local Road Investment
Until now, local roads in neighbourhoods like Richmond were typically resurfaced only when absolutely necessary or if they happened to fall along major transit routes. That changes this year. The City of Ottawa is launching a new $13 million dedicated budget specifically for local roads—an unprecedented step toward tackling the thousands of kilometres of pavement that connect and support our communities.
Here’s what the City is investing in road infrastructure in 2025:
- $89 million for resurfacing main roads
- $14 million to preserve aging arterial roads
- $13 million for local road resurfacing (expected to cover ~17 km this year)
With over 4,000 km of local roads across the city, this new funding is a crucial start. To keep the momentum going, Council has approved a $1 million increase every year to the local resurfacing budget.
What This Means for Richmond
While this city-wide investment is encouraging, we need to be realistic about the pace of change. After 24 years with minimal local road investment, Richmond may not benefit directly from this new budget right away.
That said, Richmond did see a major investment in 2024—$36 million, which represented one-third of Ottawa’s entire resurfacing budget for that year. This funding led to significant improvements on several key roads in and around Richmond, including:
- Franktown Road
- Flewellyn Road
- Fallowfield Road
- Roger Stevens Drive
- Conley Road
- North section of Eagleson Road
These resurfacing projects have made a real difference for residents and drivers, and we’re committed to continuing the push for future improvements in our area.
What’s Coming in 2025
More road rehabilitation projects are on the way in 2025 for the Richmond area. While the City’s Roads Department makes the final call on which roads get resurfaced—based on condition assessments across all of Ottawa—we’re actively advocating for more attention to our community’s needs.
Why Road Work Takes Time (and Money)
Resurfacing isn’t a simple job. It can cost up to $800,000 per kilometre, and often involves more than just new asphalt—such as culvert replacements, drainage upgrades, and coordination with other infrastructure work. These efforts aim to deliver long-term value, even if they sometimes take longer than we’d all like.
The Road Ahead for Richmond
Richmond is finally seeing the kind of road investment we’ve needed for years. While we can’t undo decades of underfunding overnight, this is a big step in the right direction. Our community deserves safe, well-maintained roads, and we’ll keep working hard to ensure that continues to be a priority at City Hall.
Thanks for your continued support—and stay tuned for more updates as the 2025 road work season ramps up.