The province says motorist and pedestrian safety, as well as easing traffic congestion, are the motives behind a $1.74-million study that will look at improvements to the Thunder Bay Expressway.
The plan, if approved, could see new interchanges constructed at six intersections along the busy highway, between Arthur and Balsam streets. It would also include widening the stretch to fully divide the four-lane highway.
It will also include a mandatory environmental assessment.
Ian Smith, the regional director for the Ministry of Transportation, said the improvements are needed and the study will create a blueprint for the government of the day to make an educated decision when the time comes to either move ahead or shelve the project.
“I think we all drive down what’s called the Thunder Bay Expressway during rush-hour periods and traffic flows are not exactly efficient. Certainly by dividing, doing grade-separated interchanges and making these improvements, we should see much better traffic flows through Thunder Bay,” Smith said on Thursday.
The study was awarded to URS Canada Inc. and is expected to be completed by 2015.
Smith promised public consultations, the first scheduled for late spring or early summer next year, will be held to allow input.
Affected property owners will also be consulted ahead of any plans being put forward.
“We’ll look at alternatives to mitigate those impacts,” Smith said.
The consultants are expected to deliver a number of alternatives for the interchanges.
“Then we’ll take all of the public feedback and (from) interested agencies and the City of Thunder Bay as well and from that we’ll design a highway that is the most efficient and cost-effective,” Smith said.
The province just spent $23.4 million in 2009 to resurface 10.3 kilometres of the same highway between Arthur and John streets, a project that also saw lights and additional left-turn lanes added at three of the six intersections.
MPP Bill Mauro (Lib., Thunder Bay-Atikokan) said the majority of the city’s growth is happening north and west of the highway since it was first built in the 1970s.
“Of course we’re not announcing a whole lot of money today, but we’re certainly positioning ourselves on a go forward basis to do that. And it’s my hope the government of the day will once this work is completed,” Mauro said.
“This is necessary. We can’t go forward and divide the highway if we wanted to tomorrow. We can’t go forward and do a grade-separated interchange if we wanted to. This work has to happen first. It sets the table for year-and-a-half or two years from now for the government of the day to make a commitment to the full design and go forward and get it done.”
Mauro, who would like to see the work begin as soon as the study is completed, said the project would not affect the resources needed to pay for continuing to twin Highway 11/17 between Thunder Bay and Nipigon.
