Construction at Bathurst Street, Davis Drive intersection to begin June 18

Town of Newmarket, King Township intersection to remain open during construction

Yorkregion.com
June 12, 2018
Teresa Latchford

Construction to improve the intersection at Bathurst Street and Davis Drive will begin June 18.

Any driver who has made a left turn from Bathurst Street onto Davis Drive in rush hour will welcome the coming changes to the high traffic intersection. Improving traffic flow is one of the main objectives of the $4.3-million project, according to York Region’s manager of engineering, Paul Acquaah.

“The project has been on our radar for some time,” he said. “We have been moving through the designing stages for the past couple of years and now we are moving into the construction phase.”

The redesign is included in the region’s capitol plan and based on the past and projected growth for York Region, this intersection was one that was identified as a priority.

The project will add two left-turn lanes from eastbound Davis Drive to northbound Bathurst Street and from northbound Bathurst Street to westbound Davis Drive to improve traffic flow to the busy intersection, especially during morning and evening rush hours. Other enhancements include improved street lighting, on-street bicycle lanes, new sidewalks and transit stops to support walking and cycling options along regional roads.

Updated traffic signals and improved intersection accessibility, including curb cuts for ramps and crossing signal button placement for ease of access, to ensure the intersection can be used by all.

Construction is set to begin the week of June 18 and the goal is to have it complete by this fall.

“The intersection will remain open during construction,” Acquaah confirmed. “We have a contract with the construction company that requires the crews to have two lanes in each direction open during peak traffic periods.”

An additional restriction in the contract will ensure all lanes remain open on Fridays from 2 to 7 p.m. to accommodate the high volume of cottage country traffic typical for this intersection in the summer months.

When there is active construction at the intersection, there will be a police presence to keep traffic flowing.

Following the completion of the construction project, streetscaping and plantings will be completed in 2019 to create more public space.

For more information about this or upcoming construction projects, visit York.ca.