Public Works

Our Township has over 220 kilometres of roads. This includes 84 kilometres of paved roads, 140 kilometres of gravel roads, and 106 kilometres of County roads that we provide maintenance for.

If you have a concern with road maintenance or notice damage, please submit a service request.

Roads and Sidewalks

Roads

The Public Works Department of the Township of Southwold provides maintenance to both Township and County roads within our Municipality.

Talbot Line (Highway #3) and Sunset Road (from Talbot Line North to Highway 401) are Ministry of Transportation patrolled and maintained roads. If you have concerns or inquiries about maintenance on this road, please contact their maintenance contractor – EMCON Services Inc. Their 24-hour service number is 1-855-557-8478.
For maintenance requests within the Township (excluding Talbot Line and Sunset Road), please submit a service request.
Gravel Road Renewal Program - Crews place new gravel to improve the road, followed by grading and compaction to smooth and level the roads for safer and more comfortable travel. Dust suppressant application to be applied in May/June. Check out the 2025 Gravel Road Renewal Map to find which roads are part of the program this year.

Sidewalks

We maintain all of the sidewalks year-round. If you have concerns with sidewalk maintenance, please submit a service request.

Half Load

The Township of Southwold would like to remind all Commercial Vehicle Operators that the Township places Load Restrictions on ALL of its roads from March 1^st to April 30^th. Drivers found to be in violation of the by-law are subject to fines as set out in the Highway Traffic Act. Some specialized farm vehicles are exempt. For more information, please contact the Public Works Superintendent at 519-769-2010 or by email.

Road occupancy and road entrance permits

For public safety reasons, it is necessary to regulate work being conducted on a road allowance or under a public roadway. Please complete a Road Occupancy Permit for any work on a municipal road within the Township of Southwold road system.

Moving oversized or overweight loads is only permitted on County Roads within the Township of Southwold. Please contact Engineering Services at the County of Elgin to obtain an oversized/overweight load permit.

To add a new laneway, you will need to fill out a Road Occupancy/Entrance Permit. There is a non-refundable permit fee and a refundable entrance bond, or refundable work under roadway bond. For a list of our fees, visit our User Fees page.

Streetlights

If you see a streetlight flickering, out, or on during the day, let us know! Please submit a service request for maintenance on a streetlight.

Trees

For various reasons, it may be necessary to remove mature trees along road allowances. The purpose of the Tree Trimming, Removal & Replacement Policy is to authorize the removal of trees along the public road allowances. This can be for road widening, maintenance and public safety.

A property owner may request for a tree located on Township property to be removed. Please submit a service request.
The wood from removed trees will first be offered to those property owners adjacent to the tree removal.

Winter maintenance

In order to keep you safe during the winter months, the Township of Southwold provides winter road and sidewalk maintenance. The level of service that these roads receive is based on the Ontario Maintenance Standards.

In order to meet these expectations, some roads are given a higher priority. The plowing and salting of routes are prioritized based upon these regulatory obligations. In general, local roads will be cleared shortly after the main routes are clear and safe.

The degree of winter maintenance will vary in accordance with the role that the road/street plays in the overall transportation network and its classification according to Minimum Maintenance Standards.

Parking

Please avoid parking on streets and boulevards, especially during the winter patrol season to allow for snow removal.

Section 170 (12) of the Highway Traffic Act prohibits parking so as to interfere with the cleaning of snow from the highways and section 170 (15) provides for the removal of the offending vehicles at the owner's expense.

Section 21 (4) of the Township of Southwold By-Law 2004-4 states "Notwithstanding any provisions of this section, no vehicle shall remain parked or standing upon any part of any street in the Municipality between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m."

Mailbox Damage

The Township of Southwold will repair or replace broken mailboxes only if the damage was caused by direct physical contact with snow removal equipment. It is the property owner's responsibility to ensure that their mailbox is in good condition, as snow being discharged from a plow can damage weakened posts or improperly fashioned boxes. Damage must be reported to the Public Works Department immediately upon detection. Please submit a service request to report damage to a mailbox.

Snow Safety

When cleaning your driveway, never push snow across the travelled portion of the roadway. This can create a dangerous situation for motorists and violates the Highway Traffic Act. Even minor amounts of snow left behind can damage a vehicle or cause it to lose control. Remember that snow piled to the right of your driveway (when facing the road) will be carried away by the plow. Snow piled to the left will end up back in your driveway when the plow goes by.

Piles of snow from cleaning streets and driveways can be tempting. Encourage children to avoid playing near the road edge as they are not always visible to passing motorists or plow operators.

Please remember to be patient and allow extra space around snow removal equipment, as it makes winter operations safer for everyone. See snow, go slow!

2025 Roads and Infrastructure Capital Projects