BARRIE -- For six long months, motorists have dealt with bumper to bumper traffic along Little and Bayview avenues in Barrie's south end.
"It just took me 20 minutes to come from Little to Bayview," complained one driver on Friday afternoon.
Construction crews have been busy putting the finishing touches on Fairview Road, which closed in June and was scheduled to be reopened in October, but Mother Nature had other plans causing numerous delays.
Crews replaced sanitary sewers and water mains and worked to raise Fairview Road by 11 metres in preparation of the new $46 million Harvie Road/Highway 400 overpass.
The city estimates that, on average, 13,000 vehicles travel Fairview Road each day. The road closures and detours have translated into a constant state of gridlock.
Some motorists feel it is all short-term pain for long-term gain.
"It's going to be great. Traffic's going to be gone," said one resident.
Fairview will transition from two lanes to five, two in each direction and a turning lane.
Fairview Drive will open to traffic on Monday, but only temporarily. There will be more closures in the future as crews connect the Harvie Road overpass.
Construction on the highway crossing is two years in the making. It's anticipated to relieve congestion on both Mapleview Drive and Essa Road.
City officials say construction on the Harvie Road overpass is on time and budget and expected to be completed by October 2020.
