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Jeff Green | Oct 09, 2008

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Plans for revamping of Highways 7 & 41 intersection

Two engineers from Genivar Engineering attended a meeting of Addington Highlands Council this week (October 6) to discuss plans for improvements to the intersection of Hwy. 41 and Hwy. 7.

Currently Highway 41 cuts through Highway 7 at an angle, and Steve Taylor from Genivar explained that there has been a history of collisions at that location.

Genivar conducted three public meetings last fall and this spring, in which they presented several options before coming up with a recommended plan.

The recommended plan involves jogging Hwy. 41 to the west at Oliver Road (on the north end) and rejoining it to the existing road south of the hamlet of Kaladar.

In order to make the plan work, the province will need to purchase part of the lands of the former Kaladar Hotel.

“One of the virtues of this plan is that it does not require any changes to the Trans Canada Trail, which is important to the township,” said Steve Taylor.

Although the plan includes provisions for exit lanes and will make the intersection viable for traffic signals, it does not call for traffic lights at this time.

“The numbers are not there, according to MTO guidelines,” said Taylor.

Taylor said that the plan will be submitted to the Ministry of Transportation. There will be a 30 day period for people to comment on it, and then it will be left to the ministry to slot it in for implementation at some time in the future.

“It will not be for immediate implementation,” Taylor said.

He asked that the township pass a resolution in support of the plan before he submits it to the ministry. Council complied.

There is no expectation that these changes will come about in the near future, however.

“You and I won’t be alive to see this,” said Public Works Manager Royce Rosenblath to Reeve Henry Hogg after Council passed the resolution.

Township to receive land from Lions Club – For the cost of a survey, the township will assume lands it currently leases from the Land O’Lakes Lions Club in Northbrook.

Build Ontario – The township has decided to allow Jewell Engineering to prepare an application to the $200 million federal infrastructure Build Canada fund for the replacement of the Wager’s bridge near Flinton.

Jewell will prepare the application for free provided they get the engineering job if the application is successful.

“We need to replace the bridge in any case,” said Reeve Hogg, “and it would be nice to get 2/3 of the cost paid”.

Build Canada pays 2/3 of the cost for approved projects, but funds are limited and there will be many applicants.