County of Essex Wins ‘Innovative Service Delivery’ Award at Good Roads Conference

The County of Essex took home top honours in the Innovative Service Delivery category of the John Niedra Better Practices Competition at the recent Good Roads conference in Toronto.

“The competition showcases the ingenuity of municipal employees and recognizes innovations and achievements that improve the efficiency of municipal transportation and public works services and operations,” said Scott Butler, Executive Director, Good Roads.

The Infrastructure Services and Planning Department was honoured for its durable pavement paint markings. The lifespan of the markings, such as arrows and yield blocks, can be significantly extended if they are made flush with the surrounding concrete pavement.

“In 2013, the County of Essex developed an internal construction process to provide special paint markings that are maintenance-free and flush with the pavement surface. In 2021, the paint marking looks as good as new compared to other paint markings constructed on top of the finished surface,” said Dr. James Smith, Manager of Research and Technical Products, for the Ontario Good Roads Association. “The county expects that they will last another 15 years. This innovative service has eliminated the need to re-paint the markings resulting in a savings of approximately $5,000 per marking.”

Project Manager Daniel Baggio accepted the award on behalf of the County of Essex at the Goods Roads conference.