NEWMARKET, ONTARIO, June 2012 – Construction activity enters high gear on the vivaNext Davis Drive rapidway project in Newmarket today. A significant number of utility companies, construction equipment and workers will be present along the corridor until the project is completed in 2014.
Power, gas, sewer, telecommunications and retaining walls will all be relocated to prepare for road widening and building of the rapidway – dedicated bus rapid transit lanes in the centre of the road. Large structures, such as the Keith Bridge and Eastern Creek culvert, will also be reconstructed. To complete this work, some traffic lanes will occasionally be closed and/or shifted for various periods of time.
Efforts will be taken to minimize potential service and traffic disruptions during this complex work by multiple utility companies and the contractor. On-street signs will also provide real-time travel information, and construction notices will be available by e-mail and social media posts from vivaNext.
“It’s great to see important rapid transit projects are moving forward in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area,” said Metrolinx President and CEO Bruce McCuaig. “The vivaNext rapidways are one part of an overall plan to transform and connect our transportation systems, and we are pleased to see this part of the plan moving forward so quickly.”
The Davis Drive rapidway in Newmarket will extend 2.6 kilometres from Yonge Street to Roxborough Road, with the Viva rapid transit service continuing eastward in the curb lane to Highway 404. The project features six new rapid transit stations and attractive streetscape features, such as wider sidewalks, landscaping and heritage elements in the design of the new Keith Bridge.
“The rapidway will help create new destinations to live, work, shop and play as Newmarket continues to evolve,” said York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch. “The continued investment in public transit we’ve received from the Province enables York Region to deliver a reliable, convenient and comprehensive rapid transit system.”
York Region’s vivaNext rapid transit plan also supports the vision set out in Places to Grow, Ontario’s Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and is part of The Big Move – the regional transportation plan for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. For more information about the vivaNext plan and to sign up for construction notices, please visit www.vivanext.com.
This project is funded through Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario working to transform regional transit expansion in the GTHA. The project is part of Metrolinx’s $1.4 billion commitment to improving transit in York Region as identified in The Big Move, the Regional Transportation Plan for the GTHA. For more information, go to www.metrolinx.com.
Contact:
Dale Albers
York Region Rapid Transit Corporation
905-886-6767, ext. 1020
dale.albers@york.ca
Malon Edwards
Metrolinx, Media Relations
416-874-5945
malon.edwards@metrolinx.com