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Initial work on new Kitchener-Guelph Hwy. 7 to start in June
May 30, 2015 | Paige Desmond | Waterloo Region Record | Link
Quote:KITCHENER — The Ministry of Transportation is moving ahead with a new Highway 7 between Guelph and Kitchener and expects some advance construction underway this summer.
Bob Bakalarczyk, a senior project engineer with the Ministry of Transportation, provided an update to Region of Waterloo politicians earlier this week, but a definitive completion date isn't certain.
"We have a target completion date of the whole project beyond 2018," he said.
Regional Chair Ken Seiling said he is optimistic that the long-awaited project is finally going ahead.
"I'm taking them at their word that they're starting this ASAP," Seiling said.
Planning for the current proposal started in 1989. A plan was approved by the province in 2007 and construction promise confirmed in 2012.
Seiling said the upgrade of the main route between Guelph and Kitchener is definitely needed.
"I think there's just too many accidents and it's been too long in coming, but they've made the commitment," he said.
About 26,000 cars travel the current Highway 7 every day.
Bakalarczyk said property acquisitions are complete and two main projects will start soon ahead of the 18-kilometre build. More than 80 pieces of property were needed along the route.
The Guelph Street overpass in Kitchener will be widened starting in June to eventually accept one of the ramps for the new highway.
Utility relocations will also take place on the Victoria Street bridge and will continue in 2016. In 2017, the bridge will be replaced and extended.
Also in 2016, Shirley Avenue will be realigned from Bingemans to the end of the Wellington Street intersection.
Detailed design for the advanced work is ongoing, along with traffic and noise modelling and archeological work.
"We also want to finalize the project phasing and the delivery model," Bakalarczyk said.
When completed, the highway will stretch from Highway 85 north of the Victoria Street exit to the Hanlon Expressway in Guelph, with exits planned for Shirley Avenue, Bridge Street, Ebycrest Road, Shantz Station Road and County Route 86 in between.
In 2007, the most recent information available, the cost of the new Highway 7 was estimated at about $300 million.
_____________________________________ I used to be the mayor of sim city. I know what I am talking about.
07-06-2015, 11:27 AM (This post was last modified: 07-06-2015, 01:13 PM by Chris.)
Construction has started on Wellington along the bridge. Traffic is down to one lane in each direction while they dig up the middle of the road in front of the Christie parking lot.
ETA: looks like they are removing the rumble strip that runs down the middle of the street.
Just looking at that diagram, how bad an experience will it be for those traveling from Guelph who want to get off at Victoria? It looks like they'll need to hit two traffic lights from the off-ramp before getting onto Victoria.
It's actually worse for people getting onto Victoria from the south-bound 85. In that case we're looking at three intersections to get onto Victoria (one is a right turn though).
(07-06-2015, 12:19 PM)jamincan Wrote: It's actually worse for people getting onto Victoria from the south-bound 85. In that case we're looking at three intersections to get onto Victoria (one is a right turn though).
Could be worse... planners could of eliminated that whole section and made access left on Wellington/Shirley, then right on connector road to get to Victoria.
Hmm, or getting from Victoria heading Eastbound onto the 85 Southbound. I don't really relish heading North, through another intersection, and then having to pull a complete 180. It will be kind of fun to drive through this every day, though. I was in total awe at the massive stack interchanges in Texas. They know how to build 'em there, that's for sure.
How does one travelling Eastbound on Wellington Street get onto Eastbound Hwy 7? It looks like you bypass the spaghetti junction and head to the extreme East edge of this diagram. Is that correct?
_____________________________________ I used to be the mayor of sim city. I know what I am talking about.
Indeed, it's also how you'd get there from any local street in the Victoria area: go up the new Bruce extension, turn right and down Shirley, then left at the on-ramp.
(07-07-2015, 08:26 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: Is that just the most suicidally short on/off ramp, to get onto/off of the westbound hwy 7 that heads into southbound hwy 85?
No? The merge on to highway 85 southbound continues past the bottom of the image.
Are you talking about a different ramp?
I'm looking at the west side, the area where the current southbound 85 offramp is, the portion going underneath the Victoria St bridge. I know we currently have the Wellington onramp and Victoria offramp feeding near each other, just wondering what that conjoined area will be like with westbound hwy 7 also feeding into it.
Aha, think I see what you're talking about.
Westbound 7 does not have an offramp to Edna. The "suicidally short" section is not a merge zone. One can only go from westbound 7 to the southbound 85.
I was in total awe at the massive stack interchanges in Texas. They know how to build 'em there, that's for sure.
