If approved by city council next week, Greater Sudbury will apply to upper levels of government to expand the first phase of Maley Drive.
As reported on Sudbury.com last June, the $80.1-million project is running underbudget, and staff want to use the roughly $4-million surplus to expand the scope of the project.
“The section of Maley Drive between Barrydowne Road and Lansing Avenue is forecast to be the busiest section that is not being four-laned as part of the original scope,” says a report headed to city council Jan. 29. “The construction of this section at this time will reduce the cost and scope of the future Phase 2 Maley Drive project, while providing immediate benefits of reduced congestion and improved traffic safety.”
The four lanes will connect the two new roundabouts on the roadway, one located at the corner Lansing, the other at Barrydowne.
The cost of the project is being split equally between the city, the province and the federal government. If city council gives the green light, staff will apply to the upper levels of government for permission to redirect the surplus.
Regular meetings are held with a Maley Drive oversight committee, which includes provincial and federal representatives. Committee members have indicated they are willing to consider the expansion.
“However, their amount of funding will not be increased,” the report said.
The request is expected to take several months to process, and if approved, the added work has to be completed before the city receives full funding for the project from the other levels of government. Should the city exceed the original budget, costs will have to be covered locally, the report said.
When completed, the Maley extension will complete the ring road around the city, meaning heavy ore and other trucks won't have to travel through town. It's expected to take thousands of vehicles off Lasalle Boulevard and the Kingsway each day, which has prompted the city to start looking for ideas to transform Lasalle into a more pedestrian/cycle friend roadway.
The first phase, worth $21 million, saw an interchange built and a realignment of Notre Dame Avenue and should be completed next month. The next phase, worth $44 million, builds the road from Frood Road to Barrydowne Road and should be completed in November 2019.
The last part of the project will rebuild Maley Drive from Barrydowne Road to the Falconbridge Highway, and it's also scheduled to be completed in November 2019.
The city created a website to provide detailed information about the project, including links to public presentations, reports to council, and pictures and video of various stages of construction.
