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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.