Beginning this week, the traffic lights at Main Street East and Wyld Street will be deactivated and the intersection will temporarily become an all-way stop.
The City of North Bay reminds drivers once the lights are deactivated, this intersection should be treated like any other all-way stop and pedestrians should be permitted to cross safely.
This intersection will remain an all-way stop until Blocks 4 and 5 of the Making Over Main Street project are complete later this fall.
To learn more about the Making Over Main Street project, including background and frequently asked questions and answers, click here.
The project, which began in May, involves the reconstruction of Main Street between Sherbrooke and Cassells streets, as well as a section of Ferguson Street between Main and Oak streets. The first phase from Sherbrooke to Ferguson streets will be completed this fall. The entire project will take place over two years and work is expected to get underway soon with completion tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2024.
See related: Downtown businesses to remain open during reconstruction project
The last major renovations to Main Street were completed nearly 40 years ago.
The project will include the reconstruction of mainly above-ground infrastructure including road base, curb and gutter, concrete crosswalks, exposed aggregate accent sidewalk, concrete sidewalk, traffic control system, streetlight upgrades, festoon lighting, asphalt paving and other ancillary works.
In late April, the City of North Bay adjusted the starting location of the project following the feedback of the membership of downtown businesses and with the cooperation of the contractor. Instead of starting at Cassells Street, as originally planned, the Making Over Main Street project began at Sherbrooke Street and is proceeding westward. Each block is expected to take up to three months to complete. Only once a block has been fully reconstructed will the contractor proceed to the next block.
See also: Switcheroo for Main Street project
“Based on the input of its membership, the DIA requested that the sequencing of the project be reversed,” said Mayor Peter Chirico. “The past few years have been challenging for downtown merchants and they’re still trying to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that the DIA property and business owners will be impacted by the project the most, the City has made the decision to accommodate this request.”
The contractor has confirmed that this change will have no impact on the project cost or completion date.
