Delay in material pauses Grand River Street North construction plans

First phase of multi-year construction project will close road until December

By Casandra Turnbull

It’s construction season so delays are just a normal aspect of travelling this time of year, especially in a growing community like Paris As residents eagerly await the reopening of Market Street, in the final stages of completion now, others are nervously foreseeing the headache that’s about to start with the partial closure of Grand River Street North.

Asection of Paris’main artery was scheduled to close on June 19th; however, the project was delayed because materials were not delivered as anticipated and the contractor has not yet confirmed an official start to the construction, said Joe Murphy, Capital Project Manager for the County of Brant.

As frustrating as traffic can be, the irony in the situation is that these delays in the long run will ultimately help improve the flow of traffic through town so patience will be the key as construction crews work on this stretch of road between now and December.

The first phase of this multi-year construction project, recommended through the Grand River Street North Corridor Environmental Study Report and the Paris Master Servicing Plan, will include necessary work to replace aging water and wastewater infrastructure that will support growth throughout Paris. Future phases of work will include widening Grand River Street North (GRSN), replacing curbs and sidewalks and installing roundabouts at intersections. The first roundabout will go in at Scott Avenue in 2024 Later phases will also include a reconstruction of the signalized intersection at Silver Street and GRSN, including an extension of a new street from the east of that intersection

During this first phase, which should be underway shortly, work will be focused on GRSN, 100 metres south of Trillium Way to Scott Ave Subsequent stages will be between Scott Ave and Woodslee Ave and then WoodsleeAve and HartleyAve

“We are maintaining vehicle access to all businesses as much as possible throughout the work,” said Murphy, which will include signage at both the north and south limits of construction notifying motorists that businesses are open and accessible. “We are also pushing to complete the section of Grand River Street North that businesses have direct access to first, so there are few disruptions later in the year as we approach the Christmas season,” he added.

Planning to take Paris’ main and busiest street out of commission for necessary work took a lot of thought and consideration, said Murphy It was a fine balance between getting the work done in a timely fashion but not completely disrupting business operations and motorists

“With one lane open, we are striking a balance between access and productivity, which we felt was reasonable given the size and complexity of the project ” As traffic is rerouted to other streets in town, many of which are heavily populated with young families and children playing or walking to and from school, county staff are imposing a number of traffic calming and safety measures to protect residents who will no doubt see a disruption to what’s considered normal for their neighbourhood.

Speed humps were placed on Oak Avenue, a speed radar sign was installed on Scott Avenue, a temporary crosswalk is being installed on Oak Ave and Whitlaw Way and the OPP were notified to provide an increased presence on the detour routes, said Murphy. The County will monitor the detour routes and implement additional measures, if required

GRSN will be closed to two-way traffic until the end of the year. One southbound lane will remain open only and all northbound traffic will be detoured along Silver Street, Oak Avenue and Scott Avenue. You can refer to Municipal 511 http://www.municipal511.ca for the most up-to-date traffic information regarding road construction and closures.

Official opening for newest housing unit that supports Mayors’Affordable Housing Action Plan

MEDIA RELEASE - On June 22, County of Brant Mayor David Bailey and City of Branford Mayor Kevin Davis, along with Housing and Homelessness staff, members of the Social Services Committee from the County of Brant and the City of Brantford and tenants of the new building, celebrated the official opening of the City’s newest housing development at 177 Colborne St. West. The project is one of several deliverables set out in the Mayors’ Housing Partnerships Task Force Affordable Housing Action Plan. The new four-storey apartment building features 26 studio residential units, including 8 fully accessible units, and commercial office space available for rent on the main level. To expedite construction, builder ANC Modular Inc. used a modular build approach whereby units were built off site and then assembled at the site. This approach eliminates weather delays that impact traditional builds, limits construction noise (as most of the building occurs offsite) and minimizes disruption to neighbours.

County of Brant Photo