Improvements are ongoing to roads through and around the City of Barrie.
In the city's north end at the Duckworth Street and Highway 400 interchange, the city continues work to improve traffic flow to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre and Georgian College.
“We are in the process of completing the highway work, including the off-ramps and on-ramps. Over the next year we will be completing the northbound structure, which is underneath the 400 and that project is to be completed by the end of 2016,” says Stew Patterson of the City of Barrie.
South of that, the widening of Essa Road west of Highway 400 is nearly complete.
“We have put down the base coat of asphalt. We have two lanes in each direction plus a centre turn lane. There are some works to be completed, but it will be finished by the end of 2015.”
That work is needed for a future project. Travelling a short distance east on Harvie Road, just off Essa, towards the 400, commuters may notice the road is closed because the city has big plans for this area.
“There was a staff report taken to council recently approving the environmental assessment for the crossing of the highway. We are starting the detailed design now.”
The plan calls for the widening of Harvie with sidewalks and bicycle lanes on both sides and then a bridge to be built over top of the 400 that extends to Big Bay Point Road.
Work on the bridge will start in five years. Eventually ramps may be added to get traffic on and off the 400.
