{"id":2161,"date":"2011-05-11T15:35:35","date_gmt":"2011-05-11T20:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vivanext.com\/blog\/?p=2161"},"modified":"2011-05-11T15:37:55","modified_gmt":"2011-05-11T20:37:55","slug":"highway-rapidways-shifting-into-the-next-phase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yrrtc.ca\/blog\/2011\/05\/11\/highway-rapidways-shifting-into-the-next-phase\/","title":{"rendered":"Highway rapidways: shifting into the next phase"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Illustration<\/a><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been along Highway 7 East during the last few weeks, you\u2019ll know that our work crews have been busily removing the raised concrete median that runs down the centre of the road. With that first phase of work almost complete and on schedule, here\u2019s a primer on what we\u2019ll be doing next, and how it will affect you.<\/p>\n

As I described in last week\u2019s note about construction staging, the reason we did that first phase of work was to free up some extra room so we could build the rapidway with a minimum impact on travel lanes. But that was just the warm-up act. Now that the median is gone, we\u2019re about to shift into the heavy construction of the rapidway. To keep lanes open during peak hours we\u2019ll be shifting traffic right and then eventually shifting traffic left \u2013 a little like a giant square dance without the fiddle music and funny clothes.<\/p>\n

Swinging traffic right<\/strong>
\nMay 11 and 12, starting at 7pm, we\u2019re going to temporarily close all the centre lanes in both directions between Chalmers Road and Highway 404 (we\u2019ll keep one lane open in each direction). Working over the two nights between 7pm and 7am, we\u2019ll repaint the lanes as shown on the diagram above (we\u2019ll reopen all lanes during the day). By Saturday, six travel lanes will be shifted to their temporary new positions. Then starting next week, our crews will begin working in the original curb lanes to widen the roadway and build the new boulevards. We expect this phase of work will take us until later this summer.<\/p>\n

The diagram shows which lanes will be open for traffic, and where our crews will be working, starting at the west and east ends of this section of rapidway and working toward the middle at Pond Drive.<\/p>\n

Swinging traffic left<\/strong>
\nOnce the crews meet at Pond Drive, we\u2019ll temporarily close the middle lanes again. This time we\u2019ll repaint the lines to shift the lanes to the opposite side of the road. Then our crews will repeat the same steps, all along the second side.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re doing whatever we can to minimize the disruption for drivers and pedestrians. But you\u2019ll definitely notice some changes while the lanes are in their temporary positions:<\/p>\n