What's New
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has retained WSP Canada Inc. (WSP) to undertake the Detail Design and Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for improvements to the intersection of Highway 7 / Highway 15 and Highway 7 / McNeely Avenue in the Town of Carleton Place (GWP 4084-16-00).
The purpose of this letter is to notify you of this study, the upcoming public meeting, and to provide an opportunity to provide any comments, questions, or concerns.
The scope of work includes the following components:
- The addition of a continuous through travel lane, as follows:
- Highway 7 westbound (WB) from approximately 380 m east of McNeely Avenue to 270 m west of Highway 15;
- Highway 7 eastbound (EB) from approximately 240 m west of Highway 15 to the Highway 7 / 15 intersection;
- Highway 15 northbound (NB) from approximately 770 m south of Highway 7 to the Highway 7 / Highway 15 intersection; and
- Franktown Road southbound (SB) for approximately 410 m north of Highway 7 to the Highway 7 / Highway 15 intersection.
- The addition of a dual left turn lane, as follows:
- Highway 7 WB, Highway 15 NB and Franktown Road SB at the Highway 7 / Highway 15 intersection; and
- Highway 7 WB and McNeely Avenue NB at the Highway 7 / McNeely Avenue intersection.
- Elimination of the channelized right-turn lane on Highway 7 WB onto Franktown Road with a controlled right turn lane at the Highway 7 / Highway 15 intersection;
- Elimination of the channelized right-turn lane on Highway 15 NB onto EB Highway 7 with a controlled right turn lane at the Highway 7 / Highway 15 intersection;
- The addition of sidewalks on the north and south side of Highway 7; and
- Improvements to the Highway 7 / Highway 15 and Highway 7 / McNeely Avenue intersection pedestrian crossing locations to meet the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requirements.
In the interim, the two-way left turn lane will be reinstated from Highway 7 / Highway 15 to Highway 7 / McNeely Avenue intersections. In the long-term, a raised median will be installed along Highway 7 corridor from McNeely Avenue to Highway 15 to improve safety along the Highway 7 corridor. At that time, access will be restricted to right-in, right-out along Highway 7. A raised median will also be installed on Highway 15 / Franktown Road from just south of the future Captain A. Roy Brown Boulevard to Findlay Avenue.
THE PROCESS
The current study is following the Environmental Assessment process for a Group ‘B’ project in accordance with the Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000), with the opportunity for public input throughout the project. The preliminary design was documented in a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR), which received environmental clearance in 2020. An Addendum to the 2020 TESR was completed in 2023 to determine
if any changes to the 2020 Recommended Plan were required as a result of changes from the Town’s Transportation Master Plan that were not previously considered. The TESR Addendum received environmental clearance in 2023.
A Public Information Centre (PIC) will be held to provide an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed design, anticipated and potential environmental effects, and proposed mitigation.
The PIC will be held on January 24, 2024, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Carleton Place Arena – Bob Rintoul Hall, 75 Neelin Street in Carleton Place, Ontario.
Members of the Project Team will be available at the PIC to discuss the project and answer any questions you may have. Following the PIC, digital copies of the PIC display materials will be posted to the project website at www.hwy7-15ea.ca. You are encouraged to review the PIC materials and provide any comments or questions to the Project Team, via the project website or at the contact information below by February 7, 2024.
Upon completion of the Detail Design, a Design and Construction Report (DCR) will be prepared to document the Class EA process followed, including a description of the Recommended Plan, potential environmental effects, and a mitigation plan. The DCR will be filed for a 30-day comment period. At that time, notices will be published in a
local newspaper, letters will be sent to the project mailing list, and the website will be updated to explain the review process and how the DCR can be reviewed.
COMMENTS
We are interested in any information, comments or questions that you may have regarding this study. Please provide any feedback by February 7, 2024, on the attached comment form, in a separate letter or by visiting the project website at www.hwy7-15ea.ca and submitting a comment online.
Should you require further information regarding this study, please feel free to contact the Project Team members at the addresses listed below or visit the project website.
Mr. Mark Velicevic, P.Eng.
Consultant Project Manager
WSP Canada Inc.
6925 Century Avenue
Mississauga, Ontario
L5N 7K2
Phone: 1-289-835-2629
E-mail: hwy7-15ea@wsp.com
Mr. Peter Fraser, P.Eng.
MTO Senior Project Engineer
Ministry of Transportation – Eastern Region
1355 John Counter Boulevard,
Postal Bag 4000
Kingston, Ontario
K7L 5A3
Phone: 1-800-267-0295
Email: hwy7-15ea@wsp.com
Information will be collected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. With the exception of personal information, and other protected information, all comments will become part of the public record.
If you have any accessibility requirements in order to participate in this project, please contact one of the Project Team members listed above.
Des renseignements sont disponibles en français en composant le
(613) 690-1117, auprès de Meghan MacMillan (courriel:
Meghan.MacMillan@wsp.com).
