Green Lane construction delayed slightly by weather

YorkRegion.com
July 4, 2017
Simon Martin

The endless precipitation in 2017 is causing time delays in many construction projects including Green Lane between 2nd Concession and Yonge Street.

A spokesperson for the region said construction on Green Lane started on June 12. Due to the number of rain events we have been experiencing this year, the construction progress has been slower than anticipated. Construction is currently expected to be complete by mid-August, spokesperson Tamara Ostrowski said.

The $3-million project originally was slated to be worked on from May until mid-July. Luckily for commuters, the region has decided to do work on the project during the night. East and westbound lanes are reduced to one lane between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. York Region manager of engineering David Atkins said working at night will reduces the impact on motorists.

During the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., small portions of Green Lane can be reduced to one lane.

Green Lane is one of York Region’s busiest roads. According to York Region statistics, the road sees an average of 42,980 motorists every weekday. The number of vehicles that travel the road from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., when the majority of construction would be occurring, is significantly less.

Between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays, Green Lane sees 34,840 vehicles. From 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., that number drops to 8,140 vehicles.

Atkins said working at night trims construction time by months. The region is also making intersection improvements to the Green Lane and Leslie Street intersection to bring it up to accessibility standards. The construction will also include removal and replacement of the majority of asphalt.

The road is also slated for massive future development. The town is in the midst of going through the Green Lane Secondary Plan, which will map out the development on the town’s busiest corridor. At this point, there are few specific details about what is planned. Residents are being asked to comment on what kind of streetscape they would like to see along Green Lane and Yonge.