HawthorneVillager.com

In case anyone did not see the notices in the local papers the Region is holding a Public Information Centre tonight (Thursday 07/12/07) at Hugh Foster Hall beside the Town Hall on King Street between 6-8 pm.

Regional staff is looking for public input on the widening of Derry to 4 lanes from James Snow Parkway to 9th Line Mississauga including bridge replacement, traffic lights, turning lanes etc. Construction is to start this October and completion anticipated by the spring of 2009.
Hope to see you there.
Colin Best
Local & Regional Councillor
Wards 2 & 4

I would have liked to come, but I have a pre-natal class with Nicole at Milton hospital at the same time.

Construction is planned to start Oct 2007 but not finished until Spring 2009? Over a year and a half of construction? Yikes!

My main questions would be
(1) Should we expect extra traffic congestion/problems while this construction was taking place?
(2) Would they need to close any part of Derry during rush hour traffic on any days? If so how many days?
(3) Why does construction take what sounds like 1.5 years?

If anyone goes and hears answers to this please let me know.

I take Derry from Thompson to 407 every week day during rush hour traffic.

Hi Rick
Got some answers for you from the staff and consultants at the Information centre last night.

1. Yes there will be some congestion during the construction as this is the largest construction project the Region has ever done and will begin after the James Snow Parkway is open for 4 lanes from Louis St. laurent to #401.

2. Yes Derry road is planned to be closed between 6th Line and Trafalgar Road for up to 6 months for a complete replacement of the two box bridges due to the fisheries regulations it would be even more difficult to built a detour around the replacements. I am requesting a possible double shifting of the replacement work ie. 7am to 3 pc. and 3-11 pm. shifts to speed up the work due to the concerns from residents and farmers who need the route to get back and forth.

3. The project takes this long as it is a complete replacement including straightening the road between 5th and 6th lines and turn lanes at all intersections. The project is 6 km. in length almost twice the distance of the Bronte to james Snow project last year.

More details to follow
Colin Best

Wow.... I wonder what's going to happen to traffic patterns to go around this. I think some people will divert to using Britannia maybe? while others will try taking James Snow onto 401 for a stretch to reach 407 and/or Trafalgar.

It will be great when this is finished. But when construction starts I guess people using Derry to get to and from work during rush hour will have to think of alternate routes and give themselves more time.

Thanks Colin,

This project sounds great but it scares me at the same time. I'm sure many would agree with me when I say I've seen how construction on the roads have gone on around town the past year or so, ie. never starting when they are suppose to, never finishing when they are suppose to, some signs not going up to warn of people of lane reductions, etc, and closing lanes that sit dorment, not being worked on, etc. I pray that this project will only take as long as they say cause I can't imagine as it is finding new and fun ways to get outta town while derry is closed, at parts, for at least 6 MONTHS! Let's hope I'm wrong and that the completed work on James Snow and Thomspon, etc, will make the derry closure not that big an inconvenience. A man can dream, can't he? Do appreciate your part Colin on doing things like trying to get double shifts, etc. Are the others in local office doing their part too?

Closing Derry Road for any duration is totally unacceptable. The planning and implementation of these works is as important as the roadway design and I hope the consultants and the Region are cognizant of this fact.

I hope that the Region finished the work on Steeles before attempting the Derry work. 6 months is not too bad, I will just have to find another route. I often wondered why construction like this isn't 24/7 until finished. We are footing the bill so if a company cannot meet our requirements, SEE YA! we will find another contractor!

Matt

The problem is that the prices go up for 24/7 work. Paying night shift premiums costs more and ads to the expense of the project. So its a balance between getting it done and not killing the budget when so many other infrastructure improvements are being considered and planned for.

Colin, I wonder since many of the people who use Derry during rush hour when all routes are congested are either Miltonian's who work in Mississauga or people from Mississauga who work in Milton, does a significant, long term project like this get any financial support from either the Peel/Mississauga budget, or Provincial, or is it really Halton/Milton's problem because it is contained within our boundaries?

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14C - Lot 82 - Upland B
Roleplaying Game Software for your iPhone: RPGTouch

GC... I think we'd have to find out if Halton chipped in for Derry to be widened in Peel when they went from one/two lanes to two/three lanes from the 407 over. If Halton did, then they should chip in for our half... if not, then it wouldn't really be fair for them to chip in.

I agree and so I imagine that we pay for peels part so they shouldn't pay for ours. I just would hope that road and infrastructure changes, such as this one, that were made necessary as a direct result of the provincial "places to grow" plan/legislation, should, at least in part, be funded by special additional funding. Considering that the "places to grow" plan is supposed to be saving overall infrastructure dollars by centralizing growth.

On a side note, I some times wonder if Halton Hills and Milton don't better fit in the Peel region then the Halton region. I guess I feel that way because I'm on the East Side, I'm sure the South side folk would feel differently. But we are more tightly coupled via the 401, then to the QEW folk.

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14C - Lot 82 - Upland B
Roleplaying Game Software for your iPhone: RPGTouch

I noticed that most of Derry Rd between Bronte and James Snow was almost completely landscaped...with sod, new trees and sidewalks...Now that this section of the road is almost complete, when is construction expected to start and end on the widening between Tremaine and Bronte? The section that is almost complete looks very nice, neat and tidy...however, there is one thing that I would have liked to see more of-flowers- the only place I saw flowers was at Holly/Derry near the plaza...In my opinion, flowers along Derry (and other roads) would help at somewhat preserving Milton's "small town charm"

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Hi Aishalli

Your right flowers are nice but also more maintenance. Derry Road is a regional road similar to Highway, #25, James Snow and Britannia. Will check with regional staff but don't believe it was part of the budget for the project.
The section of Derry between Bronte to Tremaine will start later this fall as soon as the project is tendered. It should be done next spring.
Colin Best
Local & regional councillor
Wards 2 & 4.

Colin, is there an opportunity for citizen's groups to "adopt" areas of public land to put in flowers and stuff? I've often wondered about the ugly shrub beds in the local park that look half dead most of the year... a few annuals and some TLC and they'd look a lot better, but I'm not sure if it would be illegal to spruce it up or not.

The same thing could be done for the stuff on the roads, as long as people take responsibility for watering/fertilizing/removing the dead stuff at the end of the year.

Watering should not be an issue, the new parks have sprinkler systems in them. They even run during the water ban!

Matt