A large-scale $53-million construction project will transform the 2.2-kilometre stretch of Yonge Street north of Davis Drive in Newmarket over the next five years.
Stretching from Davis to Green Lane in East Gwillimbury, the project will widen the busy roadway from four to six lanes, including HOV lanes, create a centre median for future transit options, expand sidewalks with space on both sides for bike lanes, install new traffic lights for better access to businesses, and be beautified with new trees, according to Jamal Ahmed, the project manager for the Regional Municipality of York, at a presentation to Newmarket council Aug. 24.
“This project will have a large and lasting impact on the community,” Ahmed told councillors, adding Yonge is one of the busiest transportation corridors in York Region.
The project is needed to accommodate the significant growth anticipated for Newmarket and East Gwillimbury, Ahmed said.
More than 43,000 vehicles are travelling Yonge on a daily basis, with volumes anticipated to reach 65,000 vehicles when fully built out, he added.
It’s a “significant and very important project,” said Peter Noehammer, Newmarket’s commissioner of infrastructure and development, that “not only considers widening of Yonge Street, but also provides an opportunity to implement other very desirable features in the cross section that will make it a much more complete street, such as active transportation routes and streetscaping.”
The Town of Newmarket has allocated about $7 million toward the project for streetscaping.
Utility work will get underway this fall — utilities be moved underground to accommodate the road widening — and will continue until spring 2023, when widening on the east side of Yonge will begin, continuing to the fall.
Widening on the west side of Yonge is slated to begin in fall 2023, wrapping up at the end of summer 2024.
Construction of the median and streetscaping will be done from the spring to fall in 2024, when the final stage, restoration, will wrap up by summer 2025.
“We acknowledge that construction fatigue is happening in this area,” said Ahmed, as a result of other recent multi-year construction projects in Newmarket, particularly the vivaNext transit roadwork on Davis and Yonge from Savage Road to Eagle Street.
The region has improved its interaction with impacted residents and businesses, including arranging focus groups and public workshops, and it continues to directly inform and update “key stakeholders” on the street, Ahmed said.
Councillor Trevor Morrison said several businesses are concerned about restricted access during the prolonged construction.
Access to businesses, as well as four lanes of traffic, will be maintained throughout the project, and any temporary partial closures to entrances or side streets will only occur with consultation and notification, Ahmed added.
“I think that’s so important, especially right now with the businesses being impacted by the pandemic, and then to have this … extend that difficulty for them,” Morrison said.
Increased traffic on side streets, which drivers will use to avoid the construction on Yonge, is a concern, said Councillor Christina Bisanz, suggesting signage to prevent through traffic and bollards to control speeding be considered.
York Region’s website includes information and project updates.
York Region Rapid Transit Corporation completed an environmental assessment in 2008, which recommended the road widening, with provisions for off-street cycling and protection for future rapid bus transit development.
However, the section from Davis to Green Lane is not currently funded for rapid transit, and is not expected to be for some time, said Ahmed.
The project is included in the region’s 10-year roads and transit capital construction program.
