Roads

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The Township of Lake of Bays' Public Works Department maintains approximately 220 km of Township roads and 72 km of District of Muskoka roads. Your safety while travelling is our highest priority.

Road closures

View road closures.

Report it

Contact us to report road maintenance and other roads related issues.

Road permits and agreements

Services

Brushing and Tree Removal

Roadside brushing and tree removal is completed along Township roads to:

  • Increase road safety by improving sightlines
  • Allow sunlight and air movement to reach the road base
  • Allow for snow storage

Culverts

Road culverts and entrance culverts are maintained by the Township. To help culverts work efficiently:

  • Ensure that your entrance culvert has an Entrance Permit 
  • Do not deposit leaves, debris or branches near the culverts
  • Keep snow from being piled over the ends of your entrance culvert

Ditching

Roadside ditching is performed throughout the year to ensure that the road drainage systems work efficiently. Roads are prioritized based on inspections and patrols.

Dust control

Calcium Chloride is applied in late June to help stabilize gravel roads and to reduce the amount of dust.

Half loads

The weight of vehicles on municipal roads is restricted annually from the beginning of March to approximately the end of May as per the Highway Traffic Act R.S.O. 1990, cH8, s122.

  • Vehicle weight is restricted to five (5) tonnes per axle.
  • The date that weight restrictions are lifted is determined by road and weather conditions each year.

Roadside mowing

The edges of roads are mowed once a year starting in July to:

  • Increase safety
  • Allow for increased visibility
  • Control the growth of trees and shrubs near the road

Grading

Grading operations begin in the spring when roads and shoulders are sufficiently dry and are repeated in the fall. For efficiency, roads are graded according to a predetermined route.

Potholes

Potholes are caused by several factors including speed of traffic, sudden acceleration and drainage issues. Repair techniques include:

  • Hard surface potholes are patched with an asphalt patching material.
  • Gravel road potholes often require grading to remove them effectively; gravel patching is only a temporary repair.

Snow Plowing and Sanding

Winter operations including snowplowing and/or sanding are performed by municipally-owned and operated equipment and contractors. Driving conditions and road safety are a priority on all Township maintained roads. Main roads and bus routes are serviced first, followed by secondary roads.

How you can help

Please consider the following:

  • Be patient: it takes an average of 8 to 10 hours to plow the roads after the snow has stopped
  • Do not park on Township roads and turnarounds in the winter season: this can create a safety hazard for our drivers and the travelling public
  • Do not deposit snow on Township or District roads: this can create a safety hazard and is an offence under the Highway Traffic Act

Mailboxes

Community mailboxes

Canada Post is responsible for clearing the snow and ice around community mailboxes. If your mailbox is blocked by snow, please contact Canada Post.

Rural mailboxes

Help our snowplows

Ensure your rural mailbox is in a good state of repair and is not obstructing snowplow operations.

Mailbox placement and maintenance

For proper placement and maintenance of rural mailboxes, review Canada Post's guidelines before installation for specifications and road safety criteria.

Damaged mailboxes

Mailboxes damaged by snow load from the plow equipment will not be replaced. In some circumstances, a mailbox may be replaced if the damage is deemed to be the result of a direct hit by plow equipment.

District and provincial contacts

  • For District maintained roads, contact the District of Muskoka at 705-645-6764

  • For Highway 60 and 35 road maintenance, contact Fowler Construction at 1-866-527-8216

  • For Highway 60 and 35 road conditions, view Traveller's Information from the Ministry of Transportation

 

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