It wouldn’t be spring if a major thoroughfare in Cambridge’s industrial northwest wasn’t set to close.
In 2014, it was Speedsville Road that got that treatment.
It closed in early May, and remained blocked to traffic until early December as crews worked to take down the bridge over Highway 401 and build a new one in its place.
This year, it’s Fountain Street’s turn.
Around 7 a.m. Wednesday, Fountain will officially be closed on either side of the 401.
Demolition of the bridge will occur during the first weekend of May, and work to build the replacement bridge will continue until mid-October.
The total cost of the project – including work on Fountain, Speedsville and the ramp connecting Highway 8 to the 401 – is $16.9 million.
Waterloo Region is kicking in $300,000 to build sidewalks and bike lanes on each side of the Fountain bridge.
“This gives us an opportunity to provide that connection that currently does not exist,” said Jason Lane, the region’s project manager.
News of the closure was met with a negative reaction from Valerie Lyon, the co-owner of Surplus Deal Zone on Eagle Street.
Last year, she says, the Speedsville closure “gridlocked” traffic around her store—and she fears the same thing will happen again this summer.
“After sitting on the road for 45 minutes, I don’t think anyone wanted to jump out of their line and take the time to run into the store,” she said.
Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation recommends traffic that would ordinarily cross the highway northbound detour via Eagle Street, Speedsville Road or Hespeler Road, and Maple Grove Road to reconnect to Fountain.
The suggested detour for southbound traffic is along Maple Grove and King Street East, then down Shantz Hill to Fountain.
A CTV News crew drove each route Tuesday. The northbound detour was timed at seven minutes and 50 seconds, while the southbound detour clocked in at eight minutes and 30 seconds.
Taking Fountain Street straight through between Maple Grove and King took three minutes and 45 seconds.
