Westmount Road in Kitchener redeveloped for active transportation
Posted Mar 7, 2025 10:39:06 AM.
Last Updated Mar 7, 2025 02:33:39 PM.
The Region of Waterloo council has approved new design recommendations for Westmount Road in Kitchener. The changes include bike lanes and wider sidewalks.
The new updates are currently slated to impact a portion of the road between Fischer-Hallman Road and Block Line Road.
Some of the main changes include a new raised median, new permanent traffic lights, and fully reconstructed intersections at both ends of the stretch. However, some of the more notable additions will be the addition of new bike lanes and wider sidewalks in the area.
Regional staff said in the motion that it’s not expected to have an impact on the roads themselves, but no new lanes are currently slated, still plotting two lanes of traffic, one in each direction.
The full list of changes include:
- Installation of a new storm sewer system, including curb and gutter reconstruction;
- New raised grass median separating the lanes of traffic;
- Wider sidewalks and bicycle lanes, separated from one another;
- Two new bus stops on both sides of Westmount Road at Tillsley Drive;
- Upgrades to current, existing bus pads;
- Permanent traffic signals at Tillsley Drive; and
- Full intersection reconstruction at both Block Line Road and Fischer-Hallman Road.
The motion does state that the current condition of the road itself is also part of the reason for the new changes.
The project is currently estimated to cost over $2.6 million, 75 per cent of which is coming from the Transportation Capital Reserve and the remaining 25 per cent being pulled from Roads Regional Development Charges Reserve Fund.
Staff members have already been in contact with stakeholders, businesses, and residents in the area regarding the possibility of construction for the project, also conducting background studies and various consultations ahead of time.
With the approval now in hand, staff are able to proceed with detailed design and utility relocations, with shovels expected to be put into the ground sometime in 2026.
