At long last, city drivers can take Anne Street.
Barrie’s Anne Street bridge, which has been closed for nearly two years, is scheduled to re-open on Friday, June 2.
The city says Ontario’s transportation ministry (MTO) has confirmed the re-opening, but a specific time has not been provided.
But while one Barrie bridge opens, another one is set to close.
Sunnidale Road, between Letitia and Wellington streets, and including the Sunnidale bridge, is scheduled to close on Monday, June 5 for the Sunnidale Road new transmission water main project.
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. Weather helped delay the opening, however.
The Anne Street bridge project includes replacing it with a larger structure that includes wide sidewalks and a wider bridge deck to improve traffic operations and active transportation, such as walking and cycling.
There will be improvements at the intersections of Anne Street and Edgehill Drive, along with Anne and Donald streets.
There has also been major work done on Highway 400 to make way for the new bridge, which will be large enough for a wider Highway 400 in the future.
The Sunnidale Road new transmission water main project also includes relocation of the existing storm sewer, sanitary sewer and distribution water main. The new and relocated water mains will travel under Highway 400 through a new trenchless crossing north of Sunnidale Road.
It will be impacted by the MTO’s Sunnidale bridge replacement project. This project includes pavement resurfacing for Highway 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 relocation 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.
