Peterborough city council doesn’t want a new bridge to be built across the Otonabee River linking East City to downtown Peterborough.
Councillors have rejected a proposal to protect a corridor for a possible future bridge connecting Maria Street to Sherbrooke Street, which was one of the recommendations of the city’s Eastside Transportation Study, a 30-year plan costed at $209 million for road network improvements in the east side of the city.
Council reviewed the study’s recommendations during a general committee meeting on Monday (March 14).
That proposal also included the potential widening of Sherbrooke Street to four lanes from George Street to Millennium Park, the potential widening of Maria Street to four lanes, the potential widening of the Maria Street swing bridge across the Trent Canal to four lanes, and the potential extension of Maria Street east from Walker Avenue to Television Road.
The total cost of the proposal was estimated at $81.7 million.
During its public consultation process, the project team for the Eastside Transportation Study heard concerns from residents about the proposed Sherbrooke Street to Maria Street connection, including impacts on private property and existing trails, increased vehicular traffic in the area, pedestrian safety, impediments for existing pedestrian and cyclist-friendly space, and parkland reduction.
Despite those concerns, the proposed Sherbrooke Street to Maria Street connection remained as a recommendation to council.
“The Sherbrooke Street to Maria Street connection was found to be the only option that could provide the required network capacity for the expected growth in the East City Area,” reads a staff report to general committee members.
“It would provide a new continuous Arterial Road connection across the City, would serve as an alternative route for truck access into the downtown and reliable transit service to East City, would take traffic away from Hunter Street allowing this corridor to evolve in a more pedestrian, cyclist and business friendly manner, and would reduce traffic infiltration on the north-south roads connecting Maria Street to Hunter Street.”
Although council endorsed in principle all of the study’s other recommendations, they decided to remove the recommendation for the Sherbrooke Street to Maria Street connection and extension.
The other recommendations in the study include $10.5 million of intersection improvements at Parkhill Road East and Armour Road, Parkhill Road East and Television Road, Old Norwood Road and Television Road, Paul Rexe Boulevard and Television Road, Maria Street and Armour Road, and Lansdowne Street East and Ashburnham Drive, and $177 million for 10 road projects including widening Television Road to four lanes from Lansdowne Street East to Parkhill Road, widening Parkhill Road East to four lanes from Water Street to Leahy’s Lane, widening Ashburnham Drive to five lanes from Lansdowne Street East to Maria Street, and constructing a new two-lane bridge across the Trent Canal on McFarlane Street.
Future councils would determine the pace of implementing the study’s recommendations over the next 30 years.
City council will consider items endorsed by general committee for final approval at its meeting on Monday, March 28th.
PDF: Eastside Transportation Study Executive Summary – March 2022
Eastside Transportation Study Executive Summary - March 2022
