Newmarket's Yonge Street road construction could run into 2019
Potential completion date was initially pegged for December 2018

YorkRegion.com
Chris Cimon
Nov. 11, 2016

Yonge Street road construction is still in its early stages, but local transit officials are already bracing for project delays.

After initially pegging December 2018 as the potential completion date for construction on the $430-million Yonge reconstruction, it appears timelines are already “under pressure” and work will likely continue into 2019, York Region Rapid Transit Corporation president Mary-Frances Turner told Newmarket’s committee of the whole Nov. 7.

“The majority of the work will be completed in 2018, although we do expect to see some work carried over into 2019,” she said.

Most physical work completed to-date includes median removal, utility relocation, and the installation of a retaining wall at the Yonge and Mulock Drive intersection and temporary traffic signals. However, a good portion of the road reconstruction, which includes widening and storm sewer and boulevard installation, will begin in the spring.

Turner provided an update on several vivaNext projects currently underway in the area. With the exception of what is mostly warranty-related work, the $261-million Davis Drive reconstruction is complete.

While the Davis project has been controversial at times, ridership is growing, she said.

“The hard work we did together over a number of years, to get it to this stage, speaks for itself,” Turner said. “We’ve seen some considerable growth in commuters using the service. This is really just the beginning.”

According to statistics provided by the transit corporation, about 1,720 riders boarded buses along Davis each weekday, on average, in February 2016, up from 1,230 during the same month in 2015. That's a 39 per cent increase, Turner said. 

Regional Councillor John Taylor wants YRT/Viva staff to reach out to Yonge businesses, to ensure owners are aware of all options available to recoup some of the money they may lose due to construction. However, he insists Davis is recovering.

“I’m definitely receiving a lot more positive feedback about Davis,” he said. “We’ve certainly turned a major corner.”

Restoration and landscape work on the historic Union Hotel, located at the Davis and Main Street North intersection, is expected to wrap up in the spring. The property could go to market later in the year, Turner said.

Built in 1881, the Union Hotel was designed by local architect John Ough. It still has many original features, including mouldings, staircases and woodwork. Although it’s known as the Union Hotel, past owners include James Burke, who manufactured soda water on-site, Patrick Hodgins Sr., who used it as a store and residence, and Robert Armstrong, who operated a real estate business there.

Once complete, the Yonge project — which includes Mulock to Davis in Newmarket, and Levendale to 19th avenues and Hwy. 7 to Major Mackenzie Drive in Richmond Hill — is expected to include a 2.4-kilometre rapidway between Mulock and Davis. Centre-lane Viva stations will be located at Davis, Eagle Street and Mulock.

For more information on the Yonge project, visit vivanext.com.