Between city, regional and provincial projects, 2015 is shaping up to be one of the busiest road construction seasons in recent memory for Waterloo Region.

“There’s going to be a significant amount of work happening,” Gary MacDonald, the region’s head of transportation rehabilitation

“We’re asking people to be patient and recognize that at the end of this, there’s going to be significant improvement to the roads and the transit system in the community.”

All of the region’s highways will see some form of construction this summer.

In 2014, Speedsville Road was closed around Highway 401 so crews could replace the 401 bridge.

This year, it’s Fountain Street’s turn for the same treatment.

The 401 will also see occasional overnight lane and ramp closures between Highway 8 and Hespeler Road, as part of the same project.

On Highway 85, ramps between Bridgeport Road and King Street will be closed certain nights for paving operations.

Construction related to the new Highway 7 freeway is already underway, with Guelph Street closed near the highway so the road can be lowered and a new bridge installed.

2015 marks the fifth year of construction on the widening of Highway 7/8 in Kitchener’s west end.

“We’re getting closer to the end. We’ve got about a year and a half left to go,” said Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Liane Fisher.

Work this year will focus on the Homer Watson Boulevard area, with Homer Watson closing at 8 p.m. Friday around the expressway bridge. It will reopen by 6 a.m. Monday.

Next weekend, the same thing will occur at the nearby Ottawa Street bridge.

Westbound ramps to and from Homer Watson will remain closed until the end of June, with eastbound ramps closing at that time and staying closed into the fall.

Aside from the previously publicized closures for work relating to the Ion light rail transit system, highlights of other major road construction projects in Waterloo Region this year include the following, broken down by city:

Kitchener

  • Weber Street, between College and Union streets, will see periodic lane closures and four overnight closures during the spring to finish off the multi-year widening project
  • Bloomingdale Road will be closed to eastbound traffic between Bridge Street and Kraft Drive
  • Manitou Drive will be closed between Fairway and Bleams roads, starting in July, for expansion
  • Highland Road will see lane closures between Patricia Avenue and Westmount Road, but one lane is expected to remain open in each direction
  • Margaret Avenue remains closed between Victoria and Breithaupt streets for bridge replacement
  • Stirling Avenue, between Mill and Russell streets, will be closed during the spring for bridge work

Waterloo

  • King Street will be down to one lane per direction between Weber Street and the future rapid transit station at Conestoga Mall
  • Westmount Road will be closed to northbound traffic for part of the summer, starting north of University Avenue

Cambridge

  • Work to install a series of roundabouts on Franklin Boulevard will see lane restrictions between Main Street and Clyde Road, with one lane open in each direction
  • Starting in the summer, similar restrictions will be in effect on Franklin between Highway 401 and the Can-Amera Parkway
  • Bishop Street will be reconstructed between Conestoga Boulevard and Concession Road, although again one lane will remain open in each direction
  • Blair Road will be fully closed between Grant Street and Parkhill Road
  • During the spring, only one lane of eastbound traffic will be able to use Lang’s Drive between Concession Road and Trico Drive
  • One lane of eastbound traffic will be the only lane moving through Sheldon Drive between Franklin and Conestoga boulevards
  • Wellington Street will be closed to all traffic between Dickson and Main streets