THUNDER BAY – Motorists will have a chance to weigh in on proposed Highway 61 detours slated around bridge work planned for the busy commuter route next summer.
The Ministry of Transportation has scheduled an open house for Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Airlane Hotel on Arthur Street from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to discuss the project and its potential impact on residents and traffic routes.
The ministry says because of high traffic volumes on Highway 61, reducing traffic to a single lane with temporary traffic signals controlling vehicle flows just isn’t practical.
Thus they are working on alternatives that include a full detour that would divert traffic onto city streets such as Broadway and Neebing avenues or Broadway Avenue and the 25th Side Road, or possibly a longer trek along Highway 130.
Another option is a partial detour of either northbound or southbound traffic onto Broadway and Neebing Avenues.
The third alternative is to conduct the work at night, maintaining two lanes of traffic during the day and diverting traffic onto Broadway and Neebing avenues at night when traffic volumes are lower.
The project includes work on four bridges, including the CPR overhead at the Thunder Bay Airport, the Rosslyn Road overhead bridge and a pair of CNR spans north of Broadway Avenue.
It’s expected to take five to six months to complete.
The MTO says the open house will be an informal drop-in with more detailed plans on display, adding public input is essential to the study process and ultimately the selection of a preferred alternative.
Staff will be available to answer questions, part of the class environmental assessment for provincial transportation facilities required for the project to go ahead.
The outcome will be documented in a report and a 30-day review process will be initiated once published.
For more information, visit www.hwy61bridgerehab.com.
