One of the most complained about intersections in the city is finally getting a much-needed facelift.
The long-planned reconstruction of the Seymour Street and Highway 11/17 intersection is slated to begin soon.
See: Seymour- Bypass intersection reconstruction close to tendering
Shovels are expected to break ground early next month on the project, which is valued at nearly $6.6 million. The City and MTO will split the cost.
The work will involve widening the existing intersection to accommodate dual left turn lanes on three of the intersection’s legs, as well as water main, storm sewers, traffic signals, and street illumination.
It was an above-grade storm sewer manhole cover that totalled a snowplow at the intersection two years ago.
See: City silent on Seymour St. snowplow situation
And: Snow plow loses battle with manhole cover
The project is expected to be completed sometime next summer.
“This project will provide improvements to the intersection that will accommodate future growth and address the need for added capacity due to existing and future expansion of nearby industrial and commercial developments,” said John Severino, City Engineer, Infrastructure & Operations.
Teranorth Construction and Engineering Limited from Sudbury has been awarded the contract after submitting the lowest bid.
During construction, two lanes of through traffic on Highway 11/17 and one lane on Seymour Street will be maintained in each direction at all times by staging the work to reduce conflicts with traffic. At times, traffic will be delayed, but occurrences will be minimized to prevent excessive disruption says a news release from the city.
An open house is planned for April 9 from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. in the main lobby at City Hall. Various drawings detailing the stages of construction will be on display and there will be information available about plans for traffic control during construction. Various representatives will be on hand to answer questions and review concerns.
As construction proceeds, additional public notices will be issued to provide updates on the project’s schedule and progress. Should the public require additional project information during construction, the consultant or contractor can be reached at the following numbers:
- Teranorth Construction and Engineering Limited, 705-845-3655;
- MacIntosh Perrry Consulting Engineers Ltd., 705-499-7360.
McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers Ltd. has been hired to provide contract administration services for the length of construction. Their personnel will be available on site for the duration of the contract to ensure conformance with the contract and liaise with the public.
Planning for the project dates back to 2012 when the city initiated a traffic planning study to support a Provincial Class Environmental Study for the intersection. The study recommended dual left-hand turn lanes for both the southbound and westbound traffic.
