Region of Waterloo considering closing Hwy 85 ramps at Lancaster Street
The Region of Waterloo is considering closing the Highway 85 on and off ramps at Lancaster Street in Kitchener and asking for public feedback on the idea.
The move is aimed at improving driver safety on the expressway and pedestrian safety on Lancaster Street.
In an update posted on its website, the region said there is a high number of collisions on the southbound highway between Bridgeport Road and Lancaster Street.
That section of highway, with vehicles merging on and off, is short and creates a problematic “weaving section,” the region said.
“Removing the ramps will create safer, more smooth traffic operations on the highway,” the region said.
As for Lancaster Street itself, the region said the ramps force cyclists and pedestrians to cross traffic flowing on and off Highway 85.
If the ramps are closed, the region said traffic can still get on and off the highway at Bridgeport Road or Wellington Street.
“The highway section on southbound Highway 85, where traffic from Bridgeport Road merges on and the traffic exiting to Lancaster Street diverges, is short and creates a weaving section known to have a high number of collisions,” the region said on Thursday. “This condition reduces highway speed and capacity and makes for problematic traffic operations. Removing the ramps would create safer traffic operations on the highway in this area.”
On Thursday, the Region of Waterloo reissued a media release asking for public feedback on the idea by completing an online form on Engagewr.ca by December 19.
“Staff will consider public input, together with technical studies and best practices, to develop a recommendation, and present a report to Regional Council for approval once the Environmental Assessment Study is complete in early 2023,” the region said.
A recommendation from regional staff on whether or not to close the ramps will go to council for a vote sometime between March and May.
Construction is scheduled to start in May 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.