Measures taken to reduce the flow of traffic across an old bridge in Conestogo, carried out as part of a new Waterloo subdivision
bordering on Woolwich Township, may not be ideal but they’re working, says the township’s director of engineering and planning.
Responding to questions from council Aug. 14, Dan Kennaley said the decision to prohibit left turns onto Glasgow Street from Millennium Drive was made quickly last year as the city was finalizing work on the new stretch of Millennium Drive where it meets with Country Squire Road.
“It’s not a perfect solution, but it has the effect of cutting the traffic in half,” he said.
But as Conestogo resident Grant Haywood notes in a letter to the township, the changes have made it difficult for village residents to use a longstanding route to the city.
The problem lies with the Glasgow Street bridge, an old single-lane span that underwent rehabilitation in 2010. The work should extend the lifespan of the deck by 15 years, but only if traffic volumes remain at historical levels, said Kennaley in a later interview.
The bridge is already carrying far more traffic than was intended when it was built in 1886. While the structure has been deemed historically significant, it has no official designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. There are, however, both load and height restrictions in place. As well, only one vehicle at a time is permitted to cross.
The decision to install a median as a barrier to left turns onto Glasgow Street was seen as an easy way to help limit the number of vehicles using the bridge. People continue to use the route, however, including some who are cutting across the median illegally, he said.
The township is currently looking at other ways of protecting the bridge. Manager of engineering Richard Sigurdson compiled a report in June, but after input from Waterloo, the recommendations are being reworked, Kennaley told councillors. The report is expected back for public review in the fall.
Ultimately, the best solution may be to build another bridge, he suggested, but that would be a long-term project: once such a plan got rolling, the environmental assessment process alone would take two or three years. Far more time-consuming would be finding the funds for a new bridge, as all levels of government have more pressing demands on infrastructure dollars.
In the meantime, short-term solutions are still needed, which is where the Waterloo medians come into play, he said.
The extension of Millennium Boulevard was completed last October in concert with the development of the Carriage Crossing subdivision. The boulevard, which replaced Woolwich Street, extends easterly from University Avenue East at the north end of the Manulife Sportsplex at RIM Park and now intersects with Country Squire Road at the intersection of Glasgow Street in the Township of Woolwich.
