The asphalt work on Larch Street isn’t just a status-quo operation, with the end result slated to usher in a new potential vision for how roads will look in the city’s downtown core.
Although crews have left the scene (Larch Street, from Elgin to Lisgar) for the season, they’re not done yet, with surface-layer asphalt slated to be installed early next year.
The one-way street is being narrowed to a single lane, with parking on the north and a loading zone lane on the south. A bike lane is being added south of the loading zone, with a painted barrier separating it from vehicles.
Three ground-level tree planters (one with one tree and two with two trees) have already been installed along the north side, and depressed curbs have been built.
Both the tree planters and depressed curbs (a ramped curb rather than a step up) are both pilot projects.
The ground-level planters are a shift away from the raised planters seen throughout the balance of Sudbury’s downtown, and involve more than just plunking a tree into a hole.
Rather, they are accompanied by a recessed cell under the sidewalk to help protect its root system, city engineering services director David Shelsted told Sudbury.com.
“If you walk around a tree, it compacts the root system and might destroy it,” he said, adding that the project is a pilot program because it remains to be seen whether it will work.
“Most of the other communities that have these are further south from here, so we wanted to see if it can survive our climate,” he added.
The existing above-ground planters separate them from road salt, and although the city has planted salt-tolerant trees in the ground-level planters, it remains to see what the winter will do to them.
By installing ground-level planters, the city hopes to clear up more room for pedestrians, open sightlines and stop people from using them as benches and congregation areas, Shelsted said.
The depressed curbs are an accessibility feature, which project manager Andrew Peltomaki told Sudbury.com will also allow greater access to patios.
These features are already in other cities, Downtown Sudbury Business Improvement Area co-chair Jeff MacIntyre said, adding that he looks forward to seeing what the end product looks like next year.
“It gives us a little more flexibility in how we use the street,” he said, adding that depressed curbs and ground-level planters free up more space.
“This allows us to throw a patio there, or if you’re doing a street festival being able to use that part of the street as part of the festival.”
The short stretch of bike lane is a start, he said, adding, “It takes time to reconfigure a road network.”
The $4-million project will span three years, with last year’s effort stretching from Durham to Lisgar, and this year’s effort spanning from Elgin to Durham.
Next year will see crews lay the final layer of asphalt and reconfigure the lanes via line painting.
Peltomaki said it’s likely to be one of next season’s earliest projects. With all the underground infrastructure already taken care of, he said it should be a quick job.
Work crews left the scene this week by adding padding to the lip of base asphalt to limit tripping hazards, and catch basins recessed to the level of base asphalt for the same reason. The two lanes of one-way traffic have been retained for the winter months.
Next season will see catch basins raised to the level of the surface layer asphalt, and lines will be painted to reflect the new bike and motorist lane configurations.
“We know it’s been two long years, here, especially after COVID … so there’s definitely a lot of patience,” Peltomaki said, thanking those who have been affected.
As with any project, this one had its surprises, Shelsted said, citing the discovery of an old heating oil tank under the road as a highlight. After finding the tank, crews had to remove it, test and dig out contaminated soil.
With this project affecting Larch Street from Elgin to Lisgar, Shelsted said future work along Larch to Paris Street will include the same configuration, including a single traffic lane, parking the north, and a loading zone and a bike lane along the south.
The results of the ground-level planters and depressed curb pilot programs will be factored into the city’s updated Downtown Master Plan for possible implementation throughout the balance of Sudbury’s downtown. City council approved updating the plan in their 2023 budget, and it’s listed in the city’s proposed 2024-25 budget document as a “key deliverable.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com
