Major Road Closures Coming to Downtown Brampton for up to Three Years
Published May 16, 2018 at 4:32 pm
Some major upgrades are coming to Brampton’s downtown core, and with upgrades comes construction.
Some major upgrades are coming to Brampton’s downtown core, and with upgrades comes construction.
Brampton City Council has voted unanimously to move forward with the recommended plans for the Downtown Reimagined project to upgrade the infrastructure and streetscape in downtown Brampton.
Along with the plans comes a major road closure near Main Street and Queen Street that could last anywhere from two to three years.
More specifically, a road closure will take place on on Main Street from Wellington Street to Nelson Street West and on Queen Street from George Street to Chapel Street, according to a recent release from the City of Brampton.
The release states that the intersections themselves will remain open.
“To ensure timely and effective completion, vehicular traffic will be restricted in the area during construction that is expected to take 2.5 to 3 years,” reads the release.
Some other options were considered, including restricting traffic to one lane and alternating construction on Main and Queen. According to city staff, those options would have shut down the roads for longer and costed the city more money.
Pedestrian and business access will remain open throughout the downtown core, so residents will still be able to stroll and visit their favourite shops and restaurants.
“Downtown Reimagined is one of the first steps in delivering Brampton 2040 Vision,” said Harry Schlange, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Brampton, in the release.
“In the next five years, downtown Brampton will be a hive of activity as a number of exciting initiatives bring in new development and growth. We acknowledge construction will have a big impact and we are committed to working with our partners at the Region of Peel, the downtown BIA and all our stakeholders to minimize disruption and ensure a safe transition of traffic and pedestrian movement during the construction.”
You might be wondering what will happen to all of the festivals and events that take place in the downtown core.
“To the greatest extent possible, the City is working to maintain the festivals and events that take place in Garden Square or Ken Whillans Square,” reads the statement.
Parking garages will be open, and downtown Brampton will have improved road and wayfinding signage prior to any traffic changes so drivers can plan their routes.
That includes “Open for Business” signs and improved directions to the five parking garages.
“When completed, Downtown Reimagined will create a vibrant public realm with an aesthetically beautiful streetscape around the historic Four Corners,” stated the city.
“With a range of high design amenities, such as addition of cycle lanes to landscaping between street and sidewalk in order to capitalize on pedestrian walkability and enhance amenities, the public realm in downtown Brampton is set to undergo an exciting transformation.”
The project essentially aims to create a more aesthetically pleasing downtown core that’s more pedestrian and cyclist friendly, with increased space for festivals and patios.
As part of Downtown Reimagined, the City and the Region are replacing and relining the existing aging sanitary sewers, installing new watermains, sanitary and storm sewers, and other utilities, and constructed an entirely new streetscape.
Construction is set to begin on infrastructure in fall 2018, and the entire project is expected to be done by 2021.
What do you think of the project?
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