Fenelon Falls Second Crossing

Kawartha Lakes – At the November 3 Committee of the Whole meeting, Dillion Consulting Ltd. provided an update to Council on the Fenelon Falls Second Crossing capital project. The purpose of the presentation was to showcase the current work completed on the project and collect feedback from Council so that a finalized report on recommended solutions can be brought forward for approval.

The project is currently in the Environmental Assessment phase, which includes an evaluation of the existing area, such as circumstances related to transportation, the waterway and surrounding landscapes, as well as technical and community studies conducted to identify optimal solutions to address the needs of the project.

The purpose of the Fenelon Falls Second Crossing is to address the traffic concerns surrounding the existing bridge located on Colborne Street in Fenelon Falls. Roughly 12,000 vehicles travel through Fenelon Falls in the summer months and often, long vehicle delays occur during peak traffic hours along the bridge and at the intersection of Helen Street and Lindsay Street.

During the presentation, Dillon provided data related to traffic conditions and congestion issues and findings from the multiple stakeholder and public meetings held over the course of the past year. They also presented current possible solutions and the impacts each option would have should Council decide to move forward.

Two preferred solutions were presented to Council:

1) Traffic improvements can be made to Helen Street, Lindsay Street and Elliot Street to address the current delays experienced, such as an addition of a new traffic light and restrictions on turning options in and out of the commercial plaza located on the Northeast corner.

2) Build a bypass bridge connecting Concession 3 across the Burnt River to relieve traffic passing through Fenelon Falls.

After a discussion regarding the project, Council requested an additional public meeting be scheduled to inform seasonal and full time residents within the impacted areas of the study findings and recommendations. A finalized report is expected to be brought forward to Council by the end of June or early July 2021.

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Kawartha Lakes – The second public meeting for the Fenelon Falls Second Crossing will be held on Wednesday November 6, from 5pm to 7pm. The meeting will begin with a presentation from the project’s consultant, Dillon Consultant Limited, followed by a community discussion where members of the public will have an opportunity to ask questions and review materials with the project team.

Public meeting details:
When: Wednesday November 6, 2019. 5pm to 7pm
Where: Fenelon Falls Community Centre, 27 Veterans Way, Fenelon Falls, ON.

The purpose of the second meeting is to present and discuss the findings the consultant team has worked on surrounding the proposed optimal solutions, as well as answer questions that were presented to the team at the first public meeting held back in May.

The Project:
The recent Transportation Master Plan and, more recently, the Fenelon Falls Corridor Study identified the need for additional roadway capacity across the Trent-Severn Waterway as a way to reduce vehicle delays through Fenelon Falls.

The project involves an assessment of the current issues in Fenelon Falls, the identification of alternative solutions to the issue and technical studies, including; transportation, structural, socio-economic and environmental. The project also involves public, stakeholder, agency and Indigenous community consultation.

The Process:
The project is currently being considered as a ‘Schedule B’ project in accordance with the Municipal Class EA process. This is subject to change once the preferred alternative solution is identified. The first public meeting for this EA project was held in May 2019 to confirm the key issues and to identify a number of alternative solutions to address the traffic issues. While a second bridge crossing in Fenelon Falls is one possible solution to the traffic issues, it is not the only one. The project team has identified a variety of potential solutions to the problem based on recent studies completed and consultation with key stakeholders and agencies. Findings of the work done since May 2019 and materials regarding the preliminary preferred solutions will be shared and discussed at the November 6public meeting.

Public Consultation:
The Class EA process includes various consultation stages. This second public meeting will provide the public with an opportunity to review the work the Project Team has done to date. The meeting will begin with a presentation by the Project Team, followed by a community discussion. Members of the public, businesses, stakeholder groups, Indigenous communities, government agencies and other interested parties are all encouraged to participate in the discussion.

You are invited to attend the public meeting and encouraged to provide your input. If you cannot attend the meeting and would like to know more information and/or provide comments, please contact us or visit www.kawarthalakes.ca/majorprojects.

Project Team
Martin Sadowski,
Sr. Engineering Technician, City of Kawartha Lakes
msadowski@kawarthalakes.ca
705-324-9411 extension 2342

Merrilees Willemse,
Environmental Planner, Dillon Consulting
mwillemse@dillon.ca
416-2294647 extension 2340

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