As the city moves through negotiations with the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) on the Highway 11/Coldwater Road bridge replacement project, council has endorsed a recommended plan to build a multi-use trail on both sides of Coldwater Road from Murphy Road to Highway 11, as well as a multi-use trail along the south side of the bridge.
At council committee Monday evening, council approved the plan in principle, directing staff to proceed with negotiations regarding cost-sharing between the city and the province.
“Staff intend to continue discussions with the MTO on cost sharing, as well as other technical aspects of the project, and report back to council before the design is finalized,” said Wesley Cyr, the city's manager of transportation and engineering.
As proposed, the multi-use trail along the Highway 11 bridge will include a barrier between the roadway, with the MTO being responsible for plowing the road section, and the city responsible for plowing the trail.
There is also a potential carpool lot being designed by the MTO.
“The MTO is working on the proposed potential design of a carpool lot, which would be part of the northbound Highway 11 access ramp, so it would be between the church and the on ramp there,” Cyr said.
The project is part of broader work being carried out by the MTO, including the replacement of the West Street/Burnside Line Bridge, to be completed in 2023, and construction on the Old Barrie Road/Highway 12/Highway 11 interchange, which is expected to begin in 2026.
Pending provincial budget approval, the Coldwater road project is slated to begin construction in 2024.
The broader project also includes the following proposed works:
- Widening of Highway 12/Coldwater Road to two through lanes westbound and three through lanes eastbound
- Widening of Highway 12/Old Barrie Road to two through lanes in each direction;
- Reconstruction of various intersections
- Reconstruction of active transportation facilities
- Upgrades to existing illumination, drainage improvements, and installation of two noise attenuation walls
“It's exciting to see that we have a couple of our bridges, which are major projects, and that we're also getting funding from the province to come up with a big share of the cost to do these,” said Coun. Mason Ainsworth.
“Figuring out what the cost is to the city, and making sure that we have active transportation trails is really important, especially if we want to connect the city. We've seen in those two areas, in particular with the two bridges, that it's been a struggle for people to cross not only during the year but especially in the winter season.”
Coun. Tim Lauer questioned why the city would need to pay for amenities on roads that are the MTO’s responsibility.
“I'm trying to get my head around why we fund anything — it's their bridge; it's their highway,” Lauer said. “What is their rationale for us paying for simple things like pedestrian walkways and trails?”
“The city continues discussions with the MTO, holding the position that they should incorporate active transportation as well as traffic facilities,” responded Cyr. “Their position is that they'll fund the traffic facility, and they were requesting that the city pay for any active transportation.
“The city is obligated to pay for a portion of the multi-use trail on the south side of Coldwater Road, from Murphy Drive to Highway 11, and that was by an agreement and an obligation we undertook in 2018, so we will have some costs that arise from this but, again, discussions are still ongoing,” Cyr said.
