Driven by growth projections and also the imperative to close an infrastructure gap that has been estimated at $5.2-billion worth of projects in four asset categories over the next decade, the City of Hamilton is committed to a significant boost in spending on new public works.
There are 132 different road projects alone targeted for the next 15 years, city director of engineering services Brian Hollingworth told members of the Hamilton-Halton Construction Association attending the HHCA’s annual Construction Forecast event recently.
“We need you,” Hollingsworth said, explaining he was previewing mainly projects that are delivered by engineering services, transportation and Hamilton Water within the city’s public works department.
The $5.2-billion infrastructure gap identified between projected lifecycle infrastructure needs and current funding levels is a “big scary number,” Hollingsworth said.
“The City of Hamilton has done a lot of work to better understand our assets. We are an aging city. We have not kept up with investment in those assets.”
In the next 25 years Hamilton is expected to grow by 236,000 people, reaching 820,000 in population by 2051, Hollingsworth noted.
Hamilton’s 2026 budget has not yet been finalized but projections are for the city to deliver about $280 million of water, wastewater and storm infrastructure this year, $125 million worth of roads and bridge projects, and $116 million in transit projects.
Hamilton had a budget of $162 million for transportation, water, wastewater and storm projects and works for its waterfront in 2025. That total is proposed to rise to $173 million in 2026, $327 million in 2027 and over half a billion in 2028, Hollingsworth said.
“Is that realistic? Probably not,” he said, noting the city struggled to reach its target in 2025.
Among current public works projects on the ledger, the $100-million Dickenson Sanitary Sewer job stands out, Hollingsworth said. Launched in 2022, it involves the installation of sewer, watermains and water valves as well as roadway reconstruction and is targeted for a 2027 finish.
The project is “flying under the radar because it is in the rural area, but right now, that’s our biggest infrastructure project on the go,” said Hollingsworth.
There are nine active municipal class environment assessments underway and 86 projects in active design. There are also 80 linear construction contracts in development for delivery in 2026.
Upcoming 2026 projects include:
- Main Street two-way conversion: approximately $28.5 million, road resurfacing, safety improvements.
- Wilcox Street Bridge: approximately $18.4 million, structure rehabilitation, deck replacement.
- Red Hill Valley Parkway super-elevation adjustment: approximately $2.9 million, roadway realignment to meet 2017 TAC design standards.
- King Street, Pottruff Road to Centennial Parkway: approximately $3.8 million, urban road rehabilitation, strip to base and concrete resurfacing, curb and sidewalk repairs.
- Nebo Road urbanization, Rymal Road East to Twenty Road East: approximately $9.8 million, two-lane urban road, sidewalks, multiuse path, Complete Streets and Vision Zero design.
Major projects with a longer time horizon, between 2026 and 2028, include:
- Aberdeen Avenue and Dundurn Street: approximately $41 million, complete road and sidewalk reconstruction, watermain replacement and upsizing, sewer separation, new storm sewers to reduce flooding risk. “I will be very happy when this gets built,” said Hollingsworth. “It’s a horrible road right now.”
- Rymal Road: approximately $105 million, multi-modal safety and capacity enhancements, stormwater management, Complete Streets upgrades, servicing improvements. “It should have been done five years ago,” said Hollingsworth.
- Barton Street corridor: approximately $56 million, multi-modal safety and capacity upgrades, stormwater management, Complete Streets enhancements, servicing improvements.
- Stone Church Feedermain: approximately $53 million, new 1,200-millimetre feedermain between Tunbridge Pumping Station and First Road West, Stoney Creek, 5.65 kilometres.
- Operational resurfacings: Approximately $30 million, targeted road resurfacing, curb and sidewalk repairs, 19 projects across multiple streets, grouped for tendering.
- Various bridge projects: Approximately $40 million in 2026, asset renewal program, increased project volume driven by condition assessments, risk-based prioritization and regulatory compliance.
- Lower Centennial Trunk Sewer: approximately $83 million, new twin trunk sewer, construction of 3,500 metres of 1,500-millimetre diameter sewer.
The Lower Centennial project will “unlock a lot of development,” said Hollingsworth. “Residential development has been on hold because of lack of servicing capacity, so that’s a pretty critical one for us.”
