Ministry of Transportation reports four-laning projects on track and gearing up for summer

Mar 12, 2008

ALMAGUIN – Work is set to begin on another interchange between Burk’s Falls and Sundridge, as several others continue to take shape on the new four-lane Highway 11.

On March 3, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) awarded an advance embankment contract for the interchange at Robins Road to low bidder Carillion Canada Inc.

Carillion is expected to begin the $20.8 million job on March 31. Work will include rock embankment for the interchange, a new two-lane Bernard Creek bridge and the reconstruction of Black Creek Road.

The bridge, closed by Strong council last summer, will remain closed during the project, with residents east of Bernard Creek continuing to access Hwy. 11 by way of Muskoka Road. While rock embankment begins on the interchange, a temporary connection to the highway will be constructed for residents on the west side of the Creek, which they will use for up to two weeks. After that, they will use a ramp to be constructed for the interchange. The project is expected to be completed by late December.

Across the highway, Black Creek Road will be closed from April 2008 to June 2010.

A little farther north, on the Sundridge project, work continues on drilling and blasting rock, and constructing embankments from Hwy. 124 to Boundary Rd. When the weather improves, detour work from Brookside/Valleyview Road to Hwy. 124 will begin. This will include closing the northbound passing lane on the existing highway south of Sundridge.

By summer, work will also begin on overpasses, northbound and southbound, at Muskoka Road and Adams Road.

The Sundridge project is on schedule for completion in the summer of 2010.

The South River leg of the four-laning project also remains on Schedule.

Rock excavation and rock embankment will continue, but most of the blasting has been completed. The focus of the work will be on bridge deck construction during the spring and summer, with no road closures planned.

There will be some traffic delays in the area of Boundary Road and Tower Road come fall, as construction picks up in the area. Eagle Lake Road will be closed for a week in late October or early November, as the road is realigned. Signs will be posted prior to this.

The South River project is on track for completion in the fall of 2009.

Four-laning work continues to progress between Katrine and Burk’s Falls.

The ministry reports that bridge construction in this area will continue in the summer, with most of the grading work already completed. Warmer weather will bring grading for the South Service Road, Hwy. 592, and a few other locations.

The interchange at Hwy. 520, Burk’s Falls, will be open to traffic by mid-June.

Highway access will be closed from Sunset Pass and Hwy. 594 on April 1, as construction of the flyover proceeds. The highway will be accessible by way of municipal roads and Hwy. 518 until the South Service Road is completed in June. The flyover itself will be completed in October.

The Katrine-to-Burk’s Falls project is on schedule for completion in the fall.