Parking lot to be moved in interchange reconstruction
Another open house tomorrow
By Bill Rea

The planned widening of Highway 400 is going ahead, and that means changes will be needed at the interchange with King Road.

In addition to expansions to the bridge over the highway, the ramp pattern is slated to be altered too. One of the main changes is all traffic on King will be able to access the highway without having to make left turns.

David Clarke, a senior project engineer with the Ministry of Transportation, said at Thursday's public open house session in King City that the interchange is already congested at peak periods.

Another such public information open house is planned for tomorrow (Thursday) from 4 until 8 p.m. at King City Arena.

The plan is to widen the highway to eight lanes (four each way) with eventual provisions for high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. Clarke said Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield announced in May that Highway 400 was part of the HOV network she was envisioning, including the stretch between Major Mackenzie Drive and King. He added that is part of a long-range plan, which is slated to be completed by 2011.

The plan also includes access ramps directly from westbound King to northbound 400, and eastbound King to southbound 400, removing the need for left turns that exist now.

He said the design will be similar to the intersection that's been in place at Major Mackenzie since 2003.

The parking lot is currently in the southeast corner of the interchange, and the plan is to move it to the northwest corner. As well, the new lot will have at least 233 spots, as well as an area for buses to load. Clarke said that's about 50 per cent more spots than are in the current lot.

"It fits better," he explained, justifying the relocation of the lot. He added it ties in with the ramp pattern the ministry has been looking at.

Don Cleghorn, of SNCLavalin Group, said there are also concerns that the current lot is accessed directly from the ramp off the northbound highway, with slowing traffic in such a high-speed area producing worries. He added this is a design issue, as opposed to a collision concern.

Clarke also said the bridge over the highway will be larger and higher to accommodate the widening. It will be built in two halves, thus allowing for the passage of traffic during construction.

In terms of the way the project is progressing, Clarke said they are in the detailed design stage of the class environmental assessment (EA) process for the intersection reconstruction, and the purpose of Thursday's session was to obtain input from the public. A previous session had been held in Kettleby at the start of the process, about six years ago, he said.

He added Cansfield has stated construction on this part of the project should start sometime next year, subject to the completion of the EA and acquiring the necessary property. There are only strips of land needed to accomplish the work.

Clark said that timeline is doable.

"We're working towards that," he said. "It's realistic."

Clarke also said they have been working with York Region officials on this, since King is a Regional Road.

Mayor Margaret Black said she's received letters from the Ministry about what's in the works.

She said she was pleased with the plans to do away with the left turns to get on the highway. "That's a good thing, a very good thing," she remarked.

She also observed reducing congestion in the area will benefit fire and ambulance personnel.

Despite that, Black pointed out the work on the highway will lead to more traffic in King.

"I'm never okay with more traffic going through the township, but I have no control over it," she remarked. "It's a result of the growth around King."