Barrie’s next big dig is the Essa Road and Highway 400 interchange.
Fact one is the mountain of dirt between the highway’s on-ramp and the grey, concrete bridge itself.
Fact two is the excavator working away, while vehicles zip in and out of traffic at one of the city’s busiest roadways.
It’s all part of the Ministry of Transportation’s (MTO) grand design.
“The work being done around the Essa Road interchange are pre-construction activities being managed by the Ministry of Transportation in preparation for the Essa Road interchange reconstruction project,” said Aaron Toth, engineering project manager. “The construction tender for this project closed (Wednesday) and construction is expected to start in the next two months.”
The Essa Road-Highway 400 interchange reconstruction 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’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.
New Highway 400 bridge construction will accommodate its future widening to 10 lanes, although provincial funding for the future widening of Highway 400 has not been approved, the MTO has said.
The MTO is currently involved, at various stages, in the replacement of three Highway 400 bridges — at Anne Street, Dunlop Street and Sunnidale Road.
“This work is being done as part of the ministry’s highway rehabilitation program,” said the MTO’s Simi Ikotun.
The MTO demolished Barrie’s Anne Street bridge over Highway 400 early last June in order to build a replacement. The bridge closure is anticipated to last approximately 18 months, until November 2022. This construction 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 2023-24, 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 says the replaced Sunnidale Road bridge will be two lanes and widened to accommodate the future widening to 10 lanes of Highway 400.
The Harvie Road/Big Bay Point Road/Highway 400 crossing 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.
For specific details regarding the ongoing Essa Road, Highway 400 project, contact the MTO project team identified at the MTO’s project website by clicking here.
Once construction begins, the city will be updating its project website monthly with details of the construction, traffic impacts and notices to residents.
