Councillors expressed their concerns about the Thorold Tunnel and other areas where congestion has created problems, to Carolyn Ryall, director of the Region’s Transportation Services and Frank Tassone, associate director of Engineering.
The two Regional staff members appeared at Thorold council last Tuesday to announce transportation updates coming to Thorold.
Beaverdams Road has become heavily-used, especially where it meets Decew Road, and requires “intersection improvement to realign it to bring it to better operational standards,” said Tassone.
Coun. Fred Neale said he’s heard “a number of people complaining they can’t get out of Confederation (Ave.) and Summers (Drive) because the traffic is horrendous in Confederation now. There’s no traffic light,” he pointed out, at the corner, where current construction of a new subdivision is causing congestion.
Tassone said staff would be “looking at the intersection and the potential mitigating traffic measures, and doing a thorough review.”
Neale said, “It’s happening now. My recommendation would be putting stop signs (on Beaverdams Road at the Decew Road intersection), or a temporary light, for people to get out.”
“We’ll take that back under advisement,” replied Tassone, “and balance the needs of all our roads when we’re doing our future budgeting.”
Coun. John Kenny raised a concern about access in and out of Thorold, with the current state of the bridge closed on Hwy. 20, and the Thorold Tunnel still under construction, particularly “if we get a bad snowstorm.”
“We are monitoring the weather patterns,” said Ryall, adding that staff “was anticipating detouring traffic from Thorold to Niagara Falls direction to allow plows to make it through the Tunnel. The MTO is looking at a different sized plow to get through the Tunnel.”
While the recent Hwy. 20 bridge closure became “an emergency, that wasn’t anticipated,” said Mayor Terry Ugulini, “city staff and myself are working with Regional Chair (Jim) Bradley and Ron Tripp, acting CAO for the Region. “We’re communicating that we have serious issues.”
Public Works director Geoff Holman added, “We have sand and salt storage facilities on both sides of the Tunnel, so we can respond to the Thorold South area. Those conversations have taken place. If something were to happen tomorrow, we’d be able to respond.”
Coun. Ken Sentance asked about ongoing Tunnel construction, once the current tube is completed.
Holman replied, “My understanding was that they are looking at closing the traffic to all eastbound, so you could only get to the Tunnel through the northbound from Niagara Falls into Thorold. The only way to go would be through Allanburg,” he added. “The Region is working with the MTO until the (bridge) repair is completed.
Tassone said that “Once they’re done working in the south tube, they will be working in the north tube next year, from my understanding.”
Sentance told Tassone that “A lot of people are asking when we’re planning these projects. There is some frustration with not being able to move,” especially since Hwy. 406 is also shut down to one lane, due to construction.
Coun. Jim Handley said he’s been told that it’s a “Two and a half year project on the canal. They are behind by 90 days.”
Also slated for road reconstruction is Collier Road. There have been “Many construction projects in this area,” Tassone stated. “The last area” to be done is the section from Hwy. 58 to Beaverdams Road.
Hot mix resurfacing will improve the overall condition of pavement on a region-wide basis, he added, including “Beaverdams Road from Decew to Collier, and Chippawa Creek Road to the Thorold boundary.”
Earmarked for the one-to-five-year capital project schedule, Merritt Road will be expanded from Niagara Street to Rice Road. The portion that runs from Niagara to Cataract is in Thorold, said Tassone.
Staff is “looking at another parallel route to get into Pelham, Welland, and the southern end of Thorold,” he added. “We have funds allocated in 2021 to commence an environmental assessment, and look at the safety” and other factors before making a recommendation on how to proceed.
Extension of the multi-use path from Schmon Parkway to Hwy. 406 is “great news for Thorold residents, and much safer” for them, as well as for Brock University students, said Tassone. “The Region is extending it from the west ramp interchange to Schmon.”
“We are working with” the cities of Thorold and St. Catharines, and the Ministry of Transportation “to get it done before the Canada Games,” he continued, adding it’s in “very rough condition.”
The Region intends to start construction in early spring of 2020.
Once complete, it will be “great for continuing the active transportation loop” for cyclists.
Ryall revealed that new “technologies and techniques are being brought to Niagara Region,” in the form of red light cameras, automatic speed enforcement, changes in signage, and pavement markings. Community safety zones have already been created in some communities.
“We’re trying to address problems with speeding, to reduce fatalities,” and the “seriousness of accidents,” she said.
According to Ryall, concerns have also been raised with congestion on the QEW, and “moving the transport of goods through the community. We need new infrastructure and discussions are underway with the MTO and municipalities.”
