Drivers can expect more traffic delays this summer as Stratford gears up to resurface portions of Ontario Street, Lorne Avenue and CH Meier Boulevard in the city’s east end.
Drivers in Stratford can expect more delays and lane reductions this summer as the city prepares to resurface portions of Ontario Street, Lorne Avenue and CH Meier Boulevard at the city’s east end.
At Monday’s city council meeting, councilors awarded a more than $2.6-million contract to Capital Paving Inc. for the asphalt resurfacing of Ontario Street from the city’s eastern limits to Gordon Street and Lorne Avenue East from Romeo Street to Scott Street, as well as a short section of CH Meier Boulevard north of Ontario Street to Devon Street.
“The competitive pricing came in, which is nice to see — especially in the uncertain times we’re in — so we had some budget remaining and the budget that remained matched the work needed on CH Meier, so that was a good fit,” Stratford director of infrastructure and development services Taylor Crinklaw told the Beacon Herald Friday. “The contractor actually offered the same pricing for Ontario Street for the CH Meier section, so it’s a cost-effective addition to the scope of work there.”
While drivers have already experienced delays and an ongoing lane reduction nearer to the city’s west end resulting from the first phase of the city’s Huron Street reconstruction project, Crinklaw said the city and Capital Paving are planning to maintain two lanes of travel as Ontario Street is resurfaced . On Lorne Avenue, however, the road will be reduced to just one lane while the work is being completed.
“It’s just a resurfacing, so it’s not as invasive or involved (as a full reconstruction), so it’s a little easier to manage in terms of traffic,” Crinklaw said.
Crinklaw said city staff are meeting with the contractor on Monday to establish a timeline for the work, but he expects it won’t begin in earnest for another two or three weeks. From there, he said the work will take roughly 12 weeks to complete, so he’s expecting it to finish up around the beginning of November assuming all goes as planned.
Crinklaw doesn’t yet know whether the contractor will begin work on Lorne Avenue or Ontario Street.
And while the section of Huron Street currently under construction is down to one lane of traffic, Crinklaw said he expects that road to return to two lanes by the end of August, ideally helping alleviate traffic delays at the city’s west end as roadwork continues to the east.
Of the roughly $1.25-million cost of the Ontario Street portion of this project, about 90 per cent of the project cost or $1.12 million will be covered through provincial Connecting Links funding provided to the city in April, while the remaining $132,000 will be taken from the city’s wastewater reserve.
Meanwhile, the entire roughly $930,000 and $200,000 costs of both the Lorne Avenue and CH Meier Boulevard resurfacing will be covered through federal gas tax funding.
To stay informed with the latest updates on the Huron Street reconstruction and the Ontario, Lorne and CH Meier resurfacing projects, as well as other ongoing projects in the city, visit engagestratford.ca.