Editor's note: Following publication, Reid Porter, an infrastructure engineer with the City of North Bay advised the summary report has been "revised to reflect an anticipated road construction date of 2023 and not 2024 as initially stipulated. Although our tendering date has been pushed back due to an increase in assignment scope, we are still aiming to tender the works and to begin construction this summer (2023)."
The people have spoken and, as a result, the planned reconstruction of McKeown Avenue will be pushed back, at least in part, to 2024 and several of the ideas stemming from stakeholder feedback will likely be incorporated into the project, pending approvals from relevant agencies.
In November 2022, the City of North Bay offered a window for members of the public to provide input on the planned project, including the widening of McKeown from Cartier Street to the Gormanville Road roundabout approach, and the section's transformation to an arterial roadway from the existing two-lane urban roadway.
After receiving 27 comments from stakeholders, many involving the traffic-controlled intersections along McKeown Avenue and the perceived implications of the addition of 120 apartment units on the grounds of the former J.W. Trusler school on Cartier Street, project managers shifted gears and will be extending the study area easterly to include the intersection of McKeown Avenue at Champlain Street (see map above).
For the full 92-page report, including redacted comments from the public, click here.
According to this summary report, the construction phase that was to begin this year — pending council and budget approval — could spill into 2024.
See related: Work on multi-million dollar McKeown Avenue project to begin in 2022
The stretch of McKeown Avenue from Cartier to the roundabout will still be widened to four lanes. This section will be the final part of McKeown to be brought up to an arterial standard. Although an initial environmental assessment completed in 1999 called for four lanes plus a centre left-turn lane as required roadway improvements, an updated traffic impact study performed in 2006 omitted the centre lane.
City staff noted in its report the "existing traffic volumes have reached or exceeded the available road capacity, which has accentuated the deteriorated road structure and corridor deficiencies resulting in unsafe travelling conditions." Besides the construction of the two new lanes, the scope of the project also includes reconstruction of the existing pavement, curbs, boulevards, sanitary sewer, and watermain, as well as storm sewers for the additional road width and added active transportation facilities such as multi-use pathways and sidewalks.
Highlights of the feedback relating to the project:
- Traffic lights will be installed at the intersection of McKeown Avenue and McNamara Street with a left-turn lane from McNamara to access McKeown and a controlled pedestrian crossing. According to the report, this is in response to residents who expressed a desire for improvements at the intersection.
- Pedestrians and cyclists will be accommodated via a 1.5-metre-wide sidewalk on the north side of the road, and a 3-metre-wide multi-use path on the south side of the road, separated from the roadway by a barrier curb and gutter. Due to property and utility constraints, the new multi-use path is recommended to remain on the south side of the roadway. Concerns about crossing four lanes of traffic to access transit, businesses, and One Kids Place on the south side of McKeown will be alleviated by the new traffic lights at McNamara. The signalized intersection is meant to improve the crossing ability of pedestrians and cyclists between the north and south side of the roadway.
- Multiple residents expressed their concerns regarding the redevelopment of the J.W. Trusler School property on Cartier Street and expressed doubts the road network will not be able to accommodate the increase in vehicles associated with the development. The City notes the report's scope does not cover the redevelopment property but states, "The Transportation Needs Assessment completed as part of this study included the expected site-generated traffic volumes for potential development along the corridor, including the J.W. Trusler School property, to ensure the study recommendations accommodate future traffic, pedestrian, and cyclist volumes."
- The Cartier Street intersection with McKeown received comments regarding pedestrian and vehicular safety and requests for improvements at that intersection. The City has initiated a safety assessment of this intersection to confirm the improvements required.
- Concerns about pedestrian and vehicular safety were also raised about the mid-block intersection between Cartier Street and Champlain Street (the entrance to the west end of McKeown Commons). In response, the report states the City has "expanded the study area to include the reconfiguration of the mid-block intersection to address geometric, traffic control and traffic volume requirements. This will include the accommodation of additional traffic from the J.W.Trusler redevelopment, and the need for additional left turn lanes on McKeown Avenue and signal and pavement marking modifications."
- The Champlain Street intersection with McKeown also received comments regarding pedestrian and vehicular safety and requests for improvements at that intersection. Residents expressed a desire for improvements to pedestrian safety, the ability to accommodate additional traffic from the Trusler redevelopment, and operational concerns about the signal lights (left-turn queues, long wait times). The City has initiated a safety assessment of this intersection to confirm the improvements required.
- Businesses that expressed their concerns about access to their properties during construction will be notified well in advance of the start of construction to minimize impacts to adjacent businesses along the corridor. The report states every effort will be made to keep business entrances open for as long as possible during construction. Temporary directional signage directing vehicles to businesses in the study area will be added at specific locations along the detour routes.
The McKeown reconstruction project has been approved for funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP): Rural and Northern Stream. Under this program, 83.33 per cent of eligible costs will be funded by the provincial and federal governments up to a combined maximum contribution of $4.166 million. The balance of the project will be funded by the City of North Bay. The forecasted project cost as of November 2022 is approximately $6.4 million. This is an estimate that includes design, construction, soft costs and contingencies but final costs will depend on bids once the project is tendered.
In January 2022, North Bay City Council awarded a $477,140 contract to R.V. Anderson Associates Limited for engineering consulting services for the design and environmental assessment amendment related to the reconstruction of McKeown Avenue.
According to the City, the next step in the Class EA Addendum process is to complete the Addendum to the Environmental Study (ESR) Report and issue the Notice of Filing of Addendum. This will begin a 30-day review period for interested public, agencies, and Indigenous Communities to review and provide comments to this Addendum to the ESR.
"Subject to comments received on the Project File Report, the City intends to proceed with the detailed design of this project in 2023. Due to utility relocation and permitting consideration, the anticipated road construction is expected in 2023-24, subject to budget approval."
