It’s a concept that has been thrown around for decades, and now its time may be nigh.
“An ideal timeline would be as soon as we can, but we know there are processes that have to happen,” Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz said Friday.
“That’s why we’re starting now.”
What Shantz is referring to is the idea of an Elmira bypass – a road to let traffic that only wants to pass through the town do just that, without as many traffic lights and without mixing with local traffic.
It’s believed that about 35 per cent of vehicles currently using Arthur Street aren’t stopping anywhere in Elmira.
Many of those vehicles are transport trucks, which has some Elmira residents wondering if there’s a better path to put them on.
“When I drive up and down the street, more often than not, I’ll notice at least three transport trucks,” Shantz said.
“That’s a lot of truck traffic for a downtown core.”
At a restaurant on Arthur, diners agreed that there seemed to be an excessive amount of traffic on the street – but were split on whether a bypass was the right answer.
“I feel like the bypass is actually a good idea. There wouldn’t be as much traffic coming through,” said Jennifer Gander, who said she was concerned about the safety of children walking to the nearby high school.
Doug Bray had a different view. Even though he lives outside the community, in Conestogo, he says he likely wouldn’t use a bypass.
“Having lots of traffic in the area – it’s going to be expected,” he said.
“You’re just going to have to take it easy and take it slow.”
Much more in favour of building a bypass is Judy Lorenz, who owns a business on Arthur.
She says she’s bothered by increased traffic and noise levels, and has seen multiple pedestrians hit by vehicles in the area – all issues which she believes could be mitigated with a bypass.
“I’d love to be able to have the doors open and invite people to come in – and I can’t do that because it’s so noisy,” she said.
Two proposed routes have been suggested for a bypass – one on either side of the town.
On the east, a new road could start off of Arthur, south of Listowel Road, then travel up the eastern edge of Elmira and link back up with Arthur.
The other option would see a larger Floradale Road used as a bypass.
Regional officials say a better case for a bypass could be made in 2026, when the community’s population is expected to hit 16,000.
