The traffic bottleneck at the Bridge of Nations on Paris Street in Sudbury has resumed, with construction crews returning to rehabilitate its southbound lanes.
Rehabilitation of the bridge’s northbound lanes were mostly completed last year, city Project Services acting manager Stephen Holmes told Sudbury.com this week, noting that a similar construction process can be expected along the southbound lanes this year.
Earlier this week, crews put in barriers to divert the bridge’s four lanes of traffic to its two northbound lanes, putting zipper merge signs in place on both sides.
As with last year’s bridge rehabilitation efforts, motorists’ use of the zipper merge will be crucial in mitigating traffic congestion, Holmes said.
“Not only does it benefit the time people have to wait in line, it increases safety, it increases the speed of traffic,” he said, adding that it might also reduce occurrences of road rage, “because there’s a sense of equity if everyone is waiting in two lanes instead of somebody getting ahead.”
Following a proper zipper merge, traffic uses both lanes until it ends, with motorists in the lane which ends merging into the through lane one at a time, zippering between through traffic.
Bridge work includes removing asphalt, repairs to the bridge’s concrete deck and the installation of new waterproofing and asphalt. Bike lanes are being installed on both sides to further the Paris-Notre Dame Bikeway, and new sidewalks are also being installed on both sides.
This year’s rehabilitation started a bit earlier than anticipated, Holmes said, noting that this has been the case throughout the city, where various projects are starting ahead of schedule.
“Weather has been lighting a fire under the contractors,” he said.
When it comes to the Bridge of Nations, he said an early start is particularly useful, since it reduces the project’s potential conflict with the Paris-Notre Dame Bikeway work.
Work on the bikeway, which will include bike lanes along both sides of Notre Dame Avenue (which turns into Paris Street south of its intersection with Elm Street/Lloyd Street), will also continue, stretching southbound to the Bridge of Nations.
During the bikeway’s construction, it’s anticipated that one lane will be closed at any given time.
The city also has to do some underground infrastructure work on Paris Street south of the Bridge of Nations near its intersection with David Street.
“That may be deferred until next year, but there’s a possibility if they’re off the bridge early enough they may complete that this year,” Holmes said.
Work on the Bridge of Nations’ southbound lanes is expected to wrap up by August, at which time crews plan on shifting back to the northbound lanes for a couple of weeks to repair deficiencies which Holmes said will be resolved within the city’s contract.
Summer roadwork season
Meanwhile, Holmes said crews are also tackling a handful of other asphalt projects which might disrupt traffic this year.
Work on The Kingsway will resume in May, with crews expected to return to the high-traffic arterial road to complete an asphalt project stretching from Silver Hills Drive to Falconbridge Road.
Last year’s effort dealt with Silver Hills Drive to Barrydowne Road, while this year’s effort will deal with Barrydowne Road to Falconbridge Road. The project also includes a new curb, sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides.
This year’s effort will include some evening asphalt work during non-peak hours, Holmes said, and is expected to be a quicker process than last year due to a lack of underground infrastructure to contend with like they did with last year’s project.
A bridge rehabilitation project on Municipal Road 35 approximately 300 metres west of Big Nickel Road is also taking place this year. Work on the bridge, which traverses a railway, will reduce traffic down to one lane each way.
Meanwhile, two asphalt projects have been delayed.
The application of surface-layer asphalt on Larch Street in downtown Sudbury has been delayed to alter this year so the city doesn’t disrupt peak patio season for area businesses, and a surface asphalt project to cap off a project on Walford Road between Regent Street and Paris Street has been delayed to this summer so they don’t disrupt Lockerby Composite School operations.
Street sweeping was slated to begin this week, and expand to the city as a whole by mid-April, after which line painting is expected to begin during the first week of May.
For a more complete list of ongoing municipal infrastructure projects, visit the city’s website by clicking here.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
