One major Highway 400 bridge replacement project in Barrie should be finished just as another is set to begin.
Construction for the Anne Street bridge replacement is on schedule to be completed by the end of this year, say Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) officials.
And the ministry plans to begin construction of the Sunnidale Road bridge next year.
“The two projects should not impact one another,” said Dakota Brasier of the MTO. “The Anne Street project is planned to be completed by the end of 2022, while the Sunnidale Road project would begin in 2023.”
The MTO demolished Barrie’s Anne Street bridge over Highway 400 in early June 2021 in order to build a replacement. The bridge closure is anticipated to last approximately 18 months, until November. The construction project includes significant roadwork on the 400, from Dunlop Street to St. Vincent Street.
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 says 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 relocation and any other preparatory works will begin in advance of construction.
The ministry says the replaced Sunnidale Road bridge will be two lanes and widened to accommodate the future widening to 10 lanes of Highway 400.
Also underway is the Essa Road-Highway 400 interchange reconstruction project. It 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 Road 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.
Traffic signals at the new ramp terminals would be replaced, as would storm sewers. Culverts would be extended and there would be other storm-water management measures. There would also be median wall concrete barrier improvements, pavement rehabilitation and safety upgrades.
While Essa/400 construction staging has been developed to minimize traffic disruptions, short-duration lane and ramp closures would be required and detours would be provided. Temporary carpool lot closures will be required, but one will remain open at any given time.
Also planned is the reconstruction and reconfiguration of the Dunlop Street-Highway 400 interchange. This will include on and off-ramps, intersections and installing a noise barrier or wall.
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 continue construction designed to ease traffic congestion both on and off Highway 400.
The Harvie Road/Big Bay Point Road/Highway 400 crossing, for example, was completed in early summer 2021. It connects Harvie Road to Big Bay Point Road across the 400. The bridge has five lanes for vehicle traffic, two separate lanes for bicycles and two sidewalks for pedestrians.
The $76-million crossing can handle 20,000 vehicles a day and is designed to significantly reduce volumes on Essa Road, Mapleview Drive and other streets in the area.
