A 10-day road closure of Burloak Drive coming later this fall will give Bronte area residents a sneak peek at the pain headed their way next summer.
That’s when the heavily used roadway is set to close for 14 months.
The shutdown of Burloak between Wyecroft Road and Superior Court will allow for the construction of an underpass to separate the rail tracks from the road.
The $177 million project is being led by Metrolinx, with Oakville and Burlington each kicking in $16 million.
It aims to improve safety and reduce traffic congestion caused by train crossings while facilitating Metrolinx’s plan to increase train frequency along the busy Lakeshore West GO corridor.
Details of the project are now available online, with a drop-in public meeting planned for Sept. 21 from 5-8 p.m. at the Burlington public library.
Major work on the project will kick off this fall, with the installation of new storm sewers forcing single-lane closures through the stretch beginning in September.
In late November or early December, the road will close to all vehicles and pedestrians for ten days as a track relocation occurs.
The roadway and a temporary pedestrian pathway will reopen until next summer when crews begin excavation and bridge work.
That work will force a 14-month road closure to vehicles, although the pedestrian pathway will stay open. The road is expected to be closed from the summer of 2024 until the fall or winter 2025.
Metrolinx says the road closure will improve construction efficiency and allow crews to work on “multiple scopes of work simultaneously,” resulting in completion as soon as possible.
The presentation adds that the road closure will enhance public safety and reduce the impact of dust and noise on the public.
After the roadway is reopened, additional work will continue for another year.
Ward 1 town councillor Jonathan McNeice said the project will demand “a bit of patience” from residents but will provide needed infrastructure to allow the area to grow and attract new businesses.
“We certainly want it done as quickly as possible,” he said. “But it is a bit of a blessing that we do have this infrastructure going in because there’s other places that would love an underpass as well.”
Among those places is Kerr Street, where the town, residents and businesses have been lobbying to replace that level crossing of the tracks.
Along with the road underpass, the project will include:
- Widening of Burloak Drive to make space for two future additional lanes
- A rail bridge capable of accommodating future train electrification
- On-street bike lanes in both directions
- Multi-use pathways along the boulevard
McNeice says the multi-use pathways will be designed to limit grade change to make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate the underpass.
Metrolinx says detailed timelines related to the road closures will be communicated “well in advance” via construction notices and social media.