'Organized and efficient': Residents split on Sunnidale bridge opening

The new Sunnidale Road bridge over Highway 400 opened in Barrie on Monday, putting smiles on the faces of some local residents.

The road closure on Sunnidale Road, to facilitate the work, was between Wellington Street West and Shirley Avenue.

The construction project, which began in the summer of 2023, is part of the Ministry of Transportation's replacement of three bridges along Highway 400, including Anne Street, Sunnidale Road and Dunlop Street.

Jacki, a 60-something resident who lives near the bridge construction area, said she used to walk 20 minutes to her church prior to the closure, as well as into downtown. She tells BarrieToday it’s been a bit of a headache having to drive around the long way on a detour route to get there.

“I don’t walk it — that’s a drive now,” she says.

She did not know the bridge is now open to traffic.

“Oh, is it?”

Her smile widens at hearing the news for the first time.

Beyond getting back to her normal travel route, she isn’t all that excited about the new bridge.

“I just have the feeling this street will be so busy now,” she says of the Bayfield and Dunlop bridge construction projects, as she feels drivers will use Sunnidale as a detour route.

“It was busy when Anne Street was closed, so it will probably be pretty busy. I was hoping they’d just make it a walkway, you know?” she says jokingly.

Brent Marsh, who also lives on Sunnidale and was shovelling snow off his driveway across from Sunnidale Park, enjoyed having the road closed off.

“It was nice. Less traffic,” he says matter-of-factly.

Marsh, who works in the construction industry, says he wasn’t bothered with having to use a detour to get around.

“I’m actually quite impressed with how they managed the process of putting the bridge together. It was fairly quick and very organized and efficient,” he says.

Marsh thinks the Bayfield and Dunlop bridges are going to be a big challenge to construct. 

“And I’m sure once they start at Bayfield, the traffic here is going to be intense.”

The MTO says it will be replacing the Highway 400/Dunlop Street bridge and reconstruction of the Highway 400/Dunlop Street interchange in the city, with work beginning next year. It is scheduled to take approximately four years to complete.

The MTO also plans to replace the Bayfield Street bridge over Highway 400, as well as its on- and off-ramps, starting in 2026. The project’s limits will stretch from Grove to Coulter streets, and widening Bayfield Street to seven lanes. The MTO says it requires the city to build corresponding transportation improvements on Bayfield, from Coulter Street to Cundles Road.

For more information on local bridge projects, click here.