The City of Barrie says it's looking at a late-September opening for the Bryne Drive South extension, which goes from Harvie Road to Caplan Avenue.
In a social-media post, the city says "finishing touches are underway" and the contractor is preparing for paving this month.
This southern extension will have four through lanes, two in each direction, a two-way left-turn lane, buffered bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides.
In August, the city says the contractor completed the following:
- Works around Whiskey Creek slope
- Sidewalk installation and connections to the multi-use trail
- Streetlights installation
- Traffic signs installation
- Topsoil and seed placement in the boulevard.
The city says this connection project supports the Harvie Road/Big Bay Point Road crossing over Highway 400 and will improve traffic flow across south-end Barrie.
It will also reduce traffic congestion at the Essa Road and Mapleview Drive interchanges by redirecting east-west traffic to the Harvie Road crossing.
This southern portion of the project is about one kilometre in length and carries a cost of approximately $13.8 million, paid for from development charges and the city’s tax capital reserve. Development charges are designed to recover the capital costs associated with residential and non-residential (commercial, industrial, institutional) growth within a municipality.
Bryne Drive's northern extension, from Harvie to Essa, is in the design stage. It’s to be a new five-lane road, with off-road bike lanes and sidewalks, along with a new sanitary sewer, new watermain and new stormwater management ponds. This portion, stretching 800 metres, carries a total project cost of $21.9 million, funded from development charges and taxes.
For more information about the ongoing project, click here.
