Thorold, St. Catharines street getting ripped up for major reconstruction

Residents from both Thorold and St. Catharines on St. David’s Rd. are in for a dusty summer as the two cities are about to rip the street apart with major reconstruction.

From Collier Rd to Foley Cres, the road is getting torn up as work crews as replacing all existing water mains, putting in new storm sewers and street lights, as well as lay down a new road and curbs.

Last year, St. David’s Rd ranked eighth on the Top-10 Worst Niagara Region Roads, according to CAA Niagara.

To accommodate pedestrians during the two phases of construction, a new multi-use trail will be built on the south side of the roadway and a new sidewalk will be built on the north side.

The road was targetted as needing serious work during a Feb. 2021 Muncipal Class Environment Assessment study which “evaluated a variety of road improvements that considered active transportation accommodations and incorporated urban road cross section, street lighting and overall aesthetics of the area.”

Said Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini, “The City of Thorold’s 2023 budget focuses on moving key infrastructure projects forward, and St. David’s phase 1 reconstruction is one of those priority projects. The much-needed improvements from Collier Road to Foley Crescent have been a top priority for our Community, and I am thrilled to see construction beginning today.”

St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe concurred, adding it was necessary that the two municipalities work in tandem on the shared roadway.

“I’m happy to see the continued replacement of important transportation infrastructure on the border between St. Catharines and Thorold. This is a further example of our two municipalities working across our border to ensure the community is well served,” said Siscoe.

Phase One of the reconstruction has now begun as of this week and will run until autumn. Phase Two won’t begin until either 2024 or 2025.