Highway 8 | Widening (Grand River to 401) | Summer 2009 to Summer 2012

[UrbanWaterloo]

Highway 8 project has miles to go
JEFF OUTHIT, RECORD STAFF - June 21, 2008
http://news.therecord.com/article/371350

Drivers face at least three more years of gridlock before Ontario completes the next round of Highway 8 widening in south Kitchener.

The Ministry of Transportation has abandoned its pledge to widen the congested highway over the Grand River by 2010.

The new timetable will see the highway widened between Fairway Road and Sportsworld Drive by 2011. Construction on the $60-million expansion won't start this year because the design is unfinished.

This is the latest delay in a long-overdue expansion.

Highway 8 was supposed to have been widened last year to eight lanes over Fairway Road, for $26 million. But as frustrated drivers know, construction continues.

The delay is blamed on two labour disruptions and a contract that underestimated grading needs.

It gets worse. Planners have messed up the timing of a proposed River Road interchange, just north of the Grand River. This may further extend construction and increase costs.

Regional government plans to extend River Road from King Street East over Highway 8 and on to Bleams Road at Manitou Drive. This is meant to ease congestion on Fairway Road and Ottawa Street South by providing another east-west route.

Ideally, the River Road span over Highway 8 would be built as the highway is widened, to co-ordinate and compress construction.

However, the $57-million River Road extension has been delayed to study the impact on protected salamanders.

Plans are now moving forward to widen Highway 8 and add an interchange later. "We're a little bit out of lag with respect to time," explains Bill Brodribb, regional director of design and construction.

If this happens, three years of road construction may extend into four years or more. Taxpayers will miss a chance to save money by combining construction contracts.

Planners aren't happy. But there's no desire to further stall Highway 8 widening while waiting for River Road plans to firm up. The overwhelmed highway is a rush-hour bottleneck that needs fixing.

Councillors have been assured the wider highway will be designed so an interchange can be added. It's likely new lanes will have to close, narrowing the highway again, while a bridge is installed.

This is not efficient but it's par for the course for a project that's been too long coming and far from smooth.

Federal, provincial cash for Hwy. 8 upgrade
Record Staff - Web Edition - June 15, 2009
http://news.therecord.com/News/Break...article/553946

Traffic congestion on Highway 8 over the Grand River bridge. Government funding was announced Monday that will see lanes added to the highway, along with other infrastructure improvements.


Highway 8 improvements will encompass an area around Sportsworld Drive.

KITCHENER — The federal and provincial governments announced today they will contribute up to $70 million towards the cost of Highway 8 improvements in the Kitchener area.

Today’s announcement was made by Gary Goodyear, Cambridge MP and Minister of State for Science and Technology, and Jim Bradley, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation. The event was on Sportsworld Drive in Kitchener.

Each level of government will contribute a maximum of $35 million towards the project, which is to be completed in 2012.

Highway 8 is to be widened to eight lanes between the Grand River and King Street East, and to six lanes between King Street and Sportsworld Drive.

It will include a new bridge over the Grand River, a rehabilitated bridge over the Grand, wider and rehabilitated bridges over King Street, refurbished bridges over Sportsworld Drive and bypass shoulders to speed Grand River Transit buses past traffic.

The estimated cost of the project is $84 million.

Hwy 8 gets expansion funding
Frances Barrick, RECORD STAFF - KITCHENER - June 16, 2009
http://news.therecord.com/News/Canad...article/554024

Highway 8 commuters got good news yesterday: the federal and provincial governments have come through with $70 million to widen four kilometres of the congested highway over the Grand River in south Kitchener.

The first phase of the work -- a $115,000 project to remove endangered mussels in the river -- could begin as soon as Saturday.

Waterloo Region Chair Ken Seiling said yesterday that the targeted section of Highway 8 is "probably the most significant bottleneck in the region. . ."

The project will not only improve traffic flow between Cambridge and Kitchener-Waterloo, Seiling said, but will also boost rapid transit travel with the widening of road shoulders so Grand River Transit buses can use them to bypass traffic jams.

"This will have a huge, big impact for our region," he said.

IMPROVEMENTS INCLUDE:

Widening to eight lanes from four one kilometre north of the Grand River to the King Street East interchange.

Widening to six lanes from four from the King Street East interchange south to Sportsworld Drive.

Repaving from Sportsworld Drive interchange to Highway 401.

Building a new twin bridge over the Grand River.

Repairing existing Grand River bridge, King Street interchange bridges, and the Sportsworld Drive interchange bridges.

Building bus bypass shoulders.

Building a concrete median barrier.

Installing highmast lighting.

Yesterday's announcement of the project's cost-sharing was made by Gary Goodyear, Cambridge MP and Minister of State for Science and Technology, and Jim Bradley, Ontario's Minister of Transportation. The event was held on Sportsworld Drive in Kitchener.

Each level of government will contribute a maximum of $35 million toward this project, which is the fourth and final phase of the Highway 8 improvements, Nichols said.

Bot Construction of Oakville has been awarded the $57.8 million contract to do the road work which is slated to take four years to complete, said Bob Nichols, spokesperson for the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, which is overseeing the project.

Other expenses bring the project's total cost to $70 million, he said. This is below the latest estimated cost of $84 million.

The region has also agreed to spend up to $4.28 million to ease the problem of transit buses having to use detours to avoid stop-and-go traffic over the bridge. Shoulders normally three metres wide will be extended to 4.25 metres. Pavement will be thickened to support bus weight.

Bypass shoulders are not regular driving lanes and buses will be allowed on them only when traffic is backed up, Seiling said.

Commuters who travel Highway 8 during peak periods will certainly appreciate the road improvements, he said.

These improvements include:

Work is slated to begin later this month with the first task being the relocation of an endangered species of mussels at a cost of $115,000. Planners expect to find about 50 of these rare mollusks in the Grand River, where the new bridge will be built.

By law, they must be removed before heavy construction crushes them. They will be relocated to safe waters about 30 metres upstream.

Gerry Mackie, a retired University of Guelph professor who is overseeing the relocation of the mussels, said work could start Saturday, weather permitting. It could take 10 days to complete.

The work involves eight divers and five searchers in shallow waters looking for these mussels, he said.

[UrbanWaterloo]

King Street Overpass - March 1, 2010

[UrbanWaterloo]

Heading South Before, On and After the Grand River - March 2, 2010









Grand River

[UrbanWaterloo]

North Of The Grand River Bridge - April 11, 2010

[Urbanomicon]

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FOR 2010 ROAD CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS
REGION OF WATERLOO TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES: Design and Construction
TO: Chair Jim Wideman and Members of the Planning and Works Committee
DATE: April 27, 2010
Report: E-10-046

APPENDIX A-1: 2010 Construction on Major Roads in the City of Kitchener
Project | Managed By | Limits | Traffic Restrictions | Timing
Highway 8 Widening | MTO | Fairway Road to Sportsworld Drive | Evening lane restrictions only | Summer 2009 to Summer 2012

[UrbanWaterloo]

King Street East Interchange - May 11, 2010

[TripleQ]

Does anyone know if there are any plans to make changes to the Fairway/Highway 8 ramps? Like building an onramp from eastbound Fairway to northbound Highway 8?

[Urbanomicon]

Does anyone know if there are any plans to make changes to the Fairway/Highway 8 ramps? Like building an onramp from eastbound Fairway to northbound Highway 8?

As I recall the interchage is staying as it is now. So you'll have to go up to Weber to get on the 8 Northbound.

When the highway 8 expansion is completed, River Road is planned to be extended to the Bleams and Manitou intersection. This extension will have a full interchange with highway 8.

[TripleQ]

Huh, thanks.. I didn't see how that would work but after googling for a bit I found the map. It really looks like they're trying to shoehorn in something that probably doesn't fit properly.

http://www.region.waterloo.on.ca/web/region.nsf/$All/35348F5BA34FCBE585257057005C7967?OpenDocument

[Urbanomicon]

It really looks like they're trying to shoehorn in something that probably doesn't fit properly.

That prettymuch describes all of the roads in Kitchener.

[UrbanWaterloo]

June 4, 2010

[UrbanWaterloo]

Heading North @ The Grand River Bridge - July 23, 2010

[KevinL]

As of this week, southbound traffic is now on the new Grand River span! No extra lanes than there were before, but still very cool to see.

[IEFBR14]

[Urbanomicon]

As of this week, southbound traffic is now on the new Grand River span! No extra lanes than there were before, but still very cool to see.

I heard on the radio a few weeks ago that they are not planning on opening up any additional lanes until the entire project is completed.

They are eventually going to move all of the traffic onto the new bridge and do some maintenance/rebuilding of the old one.

[Duke-of-Waterloo]

They are eventually going to move all of the traffic onto the new bridge and do some maintenance/rebuilding of the old one.

The old bridge is in desperate need of a rehabilitation. I've heard from someone who has been underneath the bridge that it makes weird noises...at least this project is phased/planned correctly though that all traffic can be moved off the old bridge with no disruptions, giving construction crews full access to carry out a speedy and quality rehab.

You can also note the extra space for the bus by-pass shoulders in the above photo.

[GGHTransit]

Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if they replaced the entire deck on the original bridge. As noted by Duke, on the new bridge you can see the wide shoulder that will be used as the bus bypass lane. It doesn't appear (from the above photo anyways) that the original bridge deck is even wide enough to accomodate the extra shoulder width.

[isUsername]

It doesn't appear (from the above photo anyways) that the original bridge deck is even wide enough to accomodate the extra shoulder width.

I disagree. The space used by the median and adjacent shoulders looks like it might be able to accommodate one lane when combined with one of the shoulders already there.

[ON-Inspector]

median wall construction is coming along nicely, and some of the bridge deck beams for the King Street overpass are going to be installed tonight, progress is moving along nicely.