The Fenelon Falls second crossing study planning started in mid-2019. The City of Kawartha Lakes, through their consultant Dillon Consulting Limited, undertook a two-phased Municipal Class Environment Assessment; Phase 1 and Phase 2 of that process were completed this year. The study had two streams with two different objectives. The first stream was to determine the location of a new second crossing in Fenelon Falls and the study concluded that a by-pass on the 3^rd Concession with a new bridge over the Burnt River was the preferred location. In 2021, costs for the second crossing were estimated to be in the $6 to $9 million range. The study estimates that the new second crossing will redirect 20% of traffic around town, offering relief to existing traffic concerns, particularly heavy trucks.

The second stream was to improve the existing intersection of Helen St., Lindsay St. and Elliot St. In the study, this intersection was identified as a bottleneck for traffic flowing through Fenelon Falls. The recommended improvements to the intersection as well as the recommended improvements to Elliot St. will help improve the flow of traffic through Fenelon Falls.

A detailed list of projects needed to complete this project can be found in the Fenelon Fall Second Crossing Update report submitted to Council on September 27, 2022. Designs for the second objective are being proposed for the 2023 Capital budget and designs for the new second crossing are being proposed for the 2024 Capital budget. The designs will follow the recommendations made by the new Council in 2023. View the entire update presentation in the Second Crossing Public Presentations section on the right.

The study was originally started as a result of the City's Transportation Master Plan and, more recently, the Fenelon Falls Corridor Study, which identified the need for additional roadway capacity across the Trent-Severn Waterway as a way to reduce vehicle delays in the corridor during peak traffic demand times.