Barrie’s reconstructed Anne Street bridge, which has been out of commission since summer 2021, is on track for an early June opening.
Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) gave an update Tuesday in the schedule as to when motorists can take Anne Street over Highway 400 again.
“All the major operations related to the new Anne Street bridge have been completed,” said Dakota Brasier, senior communications advisor and press secretary for Ontario Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney.
“Some work remains on the abutments, but we expect the new bridge to be opened to traffic in early June," Brasier added.
No specific date has been given, however.
The MTO demolished Barrie’s Anne Street bridge over Highway 400 in early June 2021 in order to build a replacement. The bridge closure was originally anticipated to last approximately 18 months, or until November 2022.
But the MTO has said factors outside the its control, including weather, helped push that schedule back a good six months.
This project includes replacing the Anne Street bridge with a larger structure that includes wide sidewalks and a wider bridge deck to improve traffic operations and active transportation — walking, cycling, for example.
There will be improvements at the Anne/Edgehill Drive and Anne/Donald Street intersections, and major work on Highway 400 to make way for the new bridge, which will be large enough to accommodate a wider 400 in the future.
Also underway and sometimes snarling city traffic is the Essa Road-Highway 400 interchange reconstruction project, with an estimated completion in 2025. This project includes widening Essa to six lanes from four between the Bryne Drive, Ardagh Road intersection and the Fairview Road intersection, a multi-use pathway on Essa Road’s north side, along with replacing the Highway 400 bridge at Essa to accommodate the highway’s future widening to 10 lanes.
It also includes reconstructing the Highway 400/Essa Road interchange, including the addition of a dedicated ramp from eastbound Essa to the southbound 400 and a new bridge to allow the ramp to cross the commercial access road in the southwest quadrant of the interchange.
The Sunnidale Road underpass bridge will also be replaced. This project includes pavement resurfacing for the 400 from south of Sunnidale Road to north of Bayfield Street, including its roadway and ramps, median replacement, drainage improvements and an extension of the Kidd’s Creek culvert.
The MTO has said construction of the Sunnidale Road bridge replacement is anticipated to begin in 2023, but the timing of projects is subject to change — based on funding, planning approvals, design, property acquisition and construction requirements. Utility relocations and any other preparatory works will begin in advance of construction.
The ministry has said the replaced Sunnidale Road bridge will be two lanes and widened to accommodate the future widening to 10 lanes of Highway 400.
Also, the Dunlop Street underpass will be lengthened to accommodate future widening of Highway 400 to 10 lanes and the highway’s pavement will be rehabilitated from south of Dunlop Street to south of Anne Street. Two culverts will be replaced under Highway 400, as will various culverts within the Dunlop Street interchange. The median storm sewer and median barrier within the Highway 400 reconstruction limits will also be replaced.
These projects also include pavement resurfacing of Highway 400 from north of Dunlop Street to north of Sunnidale Road, and from north of Bayfield Street to north of St. Vincent Street. Highway 400 will have its median barrier replaced, there will be drainage improvements within the resurfacing limits and the installation of noise walls in the vicinity of Anne, Bayfield and Duckworth streets.
The projects continue construction designed to ease traffic congestion both on and off Highway 400.
The Harvie/Big Bay Point Road crossing over Highway 400 is to reduce traffic congestion in Barrie’s south end, and to accommodate planned growth there.
