Highway 7/8 makeover
Posted Jun 8, 2010 01:47:58 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Regional Council asked some big questions today on the Ministry of Transportation’s big plans to redo a crucial stretch of Highway 7/8.
Sitting as the Planning and Works Committee this morning, councillors heard from the MTO and a consultant on plans for the highway from west of Fischer Hallman to east of Courtland.
The MTO plan includes widening the highway to six lanes from four, to and from Fischer Hallman; putting in new lighting and new sound barriers; and replacing the left-turn from Fischer Hallman to the eastbound highway with a direct on-ramp.
But Councillor Tom Galloway was concerned the MTO plans do not include linking Alpine Rd. to an existing on-ramp off Homer Watson at Ottawa.
Galloway says that was a “slam dunk” in the Region’s plans to ease congestion on Ottawa Street by providing a second access point to the 7/8 eastbound.
Senior Project Engineer, Tanya Cross from the MTO, says there’s a safety concern of linking a roadway into a pre-existing on-ramp, but pledged to look into the matter again.
Councillor Jim Wideman says it was “shortsighted” not to extend the six lanes all the way to the Trussler Road exit.
Cross says this project was started in 2005 and Trussler was simply outside the study area.
Jeff Matthews of Dillon Consulting further stated to extend the project to Trussler now would mean a new Environmental Assessment and set the whole project back a year.
Councillor Jake Smola was concerned if there’s been any coordination with Regional staff about traffic conflicts with the Region’s road projects over the three-year MTO plan.
Cross says such coordination has been happening.
The MTO plans won’t be finalized and put out for a 30-day public input time until the Fall.
Matthews says the project as it stands now will cost roughly $150 million.
Construction could start in the Spring of 2011.
