Hamilton invests $150M into road, transportation projects in 2026

The City of Hamilton is investing more than $150 million this year into road and transportation projects across the city.

The city says the goal is to improve safety along roadways for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

Potholes are a big concern on the road especially at this time of year with all the freezing and thawing.

$106 million of the $150 million will be specifically dedicated to fixing up roads and sidewalks.

“So a large chunk of that is related to road resurfacing, some bridge repairs, some major capital improvements, so a whole suite of improvements that will help us address some of the back log of infrastructure needs on Hamilton’s roads,” said Brian Hollingworth, the City of Hamilton’s Director of Engineering.

Some of the notable resurfacing projects will take place across a long stretch of Barton Street from Kenilworth Avenue to Emerald Street.

Repaving will also be done along Charlton Avenue near St. Joseph’s Hospital, between John and James streets, along James Street from Charlton Avenue to St. James Place and Charlton Avenue West between Queen and James streets.

Crews will also be doing work on King Street in Stoney Creek near Centennial Parkway.

“Yes, there will be impacts, but the good part is where we’re repairing and resurfacing roads,” said Hollingworth.

A timeline has not been given just yet, but the city says those will be provided as schedules are finalized.

Hamilton crews complete around 70,000 to 90,000 road repairs every year with pothole repairs being done year round.

“When you drive around the city, the roads may feel a lot bumpier than normal, and that isn’t necessarily because the road is degraded or anything like that, it just means that the ground has shifted through the freeze and thaw cycle that happened over the winter,” said Mike Field, the City of Hamilton’s Acting Director of Transportation. “As the road base dries out, the roads will settle and they’ll become smoother.”

Mike Field, the City of Hamilton’s Acting Director of Transportation.

The city says it spends about $3.5 million a year repairing potholes.

Some other projects being done across the city include a conversion of Main Street from a one-way to a two-way street.

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