Cambridge motorists, get ready: Hespeler Road bridge work starts Monday
CAMBRIDGE — After two decades of waiting, work is expected to start Monday morning on a bridge to carry Hespeler Road over the busy Canadian Pacific Railway tracks.
Signs have been up for a week warning motorists to expect traffic delays during the 18-month, $25 million project that includes a new bridge up and over lowered tracks. Preparation work to move buried wires and utilities, and demolish a church, have caused some traffic delays over the last few months just north of The Delta intersection — one of the busiest crossroads in Waterloo Region.
Before starting to build the bridge, Dufferin Construction must create diversion traffic lanes to the west side of Hespeler Road. Temporary railway crossing gates will be installed, since the tracks stay in operation throughout the job serving the Toyota car factory in north Preston.
In a month or so, a giant auger will move in to bore holes for concrete bridge footings. That will take much of the summer. It involves up to 60 overnight work sessions with lane closures.
The goal is to keep four-lane Hespeler Road open during morning and afternoon rush hours, although lanes will be narrower than usual. Mid-day, evenings and overnight, lanes may close to give equipment room to work. Pedestrian access will also be maintained during the work, officials promise.
In spring 2012, when the east half of the bridge is done a several-day, complete shut-down of Hespeler Road is planned, to allow the switchover of trains from old tracks to new.
That’s also when Hespeler Road traffic will move onto half of the new bridge, giving room for workers to finish the western half of the bridge by the end of 2012.
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