Cambridge councillor requests change to truck bypass to include two more streets

The Ward 6 councillor in Cambridge is recommending a change to the regional traffic by-law to include Concession and Main Streets in Cambridge.

Adam Cooper appeared before Regional Council on Tuesday during the region’s planning and public works committee.

“The residents, they’re already dealing with, literally their walls that shaking, when the trucks go by from the noise at night,” said Cooper on The Mike Farwell Show. “I felt that this is an opportunity to use the truck bypass to to alleviate that; basically just add this to their list of prohibited roads.”

If the recommendation were to pass, heavy truck traffic would flow on McQueen and Shaver Boulevard. A report from council notes noise barriers would need to be installed if more traffic is added. There are already plans for two sections of noise barriers to be added to the residential wall, following a noise study. The sections would cover 240 metres of the nearly 1.5 kilometres length of the boulevard. Construction is set to begin in September and is expected to cost an estimated $624,000.

Some residents are asking for noise barriers to be added to the whole boulevard, at an estimated cost of $3.9 million. Noise levels in some areas exceeded the Regional Noise Policy of 60 decibels that would require noise barriers.

Regional Council will return on Aug. 30 to vote on the recommendation.