Kitchener’s newest roundabout closing for overnight paving

A busy Kitchener intersection will be closed overnight for two days, as the Region of Waterloo finishes work on its newest roundabout.

The repaving is the final step of a process that started one year ago at Fischer-Hallman Road and Bleams Road.

The region said the roundabout will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, between the hours of 5 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Fischer-Hallman Road has already been marked off from Rockwood Road to just south of Bleams Road.

Bleams Road, meanwhile, will be off limits to traffic from Helena Feasby Street to Washburn Drive.

Drivers will have to find an alternate route during the planned closure, and detour signs will be set out on nearby roads.

Some said the closure will make driving during rush hour more difficult.

"It's going to be a lot of delay, a lot of traffic backlog," said Joel Camasho, who lives in the area.

"I can't really get anywhere after 5 p.m. now," said another driver. "I mean, it's a lot of cars and a lot of people in this area all trying to get to where they got to go."

The closure could also cause delays for local businesses.

"We might need one more driver just to complete the deliveries on time because of the construction," said Malay Patel, the manager of City Pizza.

The region said it's on target for completing the roundabout on time, as the final top coat of asphalt doesn't get done until a year or two after the work has been finished.

Now that the warmer weather is here to stay, it's one of the many construction projects ramping up in the Region of Waterloo.

Current and upcoming construction projects have been listed on its website, and residents can also find a map with the latest on planned closures.