JASON SETNYK
Cornwall City Council has received the Recommended Plan for the Brookdale Avenue redesign between Seventh Street West and Fourteenth Street West, the final section of the corridor still awaiting modernization.
The plan, presented by GHD Group during the most recent council meeting, outlines major infrastructure improvements aimed at increasing safety, improving accessibility, and promoting active transportation.
“This is part of a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment,” said Vanessa Skelton, Transportation Planning and Traffic Engineering Lead at GHD. “We focused on safety concerns, improving pedestrian and cycling facilities, and upgrading intersections for motorists.”
Brookdale Avenue’s road surface in this area is in poor condition, with missing sidewalks, no cycling facilities, and frequent collisions, particularly near the traffic circle and Ninth Street. Skelton noted this was an opportunity to redesign the cross-section for all users, including public transit.
The $15-million Recommended Plan includes the installation of a new two-lane roundabout at Seventh Street and the realignment of Seventh Street West using a portion of the former CN spur line. A midblock pedestrian signal will be added near the site of the current traffic circle, which will be removed.
The existing gateway features at the circle, including flags installed by the Rotary Club, will be relocated to Water Street West as part of a redesigned city entrance from the international bridge
At Ninth Street West, the signalized intersection will remain but will be upgraded with new turning lanes and improved pedestrian features. Similar enhancements are proposed at the Thirteenth Street West and Vincent Massey Drive intersection. Other changes include narrowing the five-lane road to four lanes with a landscaped median, consolidating driveway access points, and installing new lighting and landscaping.
Dedicated cycle tracks, separated from both traffic and sidewalks, will be constructed on both sides of Brookdale Avenue. “A cycle track is elevated from the roadway, adjacent to the sidewalk but separate,” Skelton explained. “Pedestrians have their space to walk, and cyclists have their space to cycle.” She added that midblock pedestrian signals will be located at key crossings, including near bus stops and commercial access points.
Councillor Sarah Good expressed enthusiasm for the plan and praised the addition of pedestrian crossings and protected bike lanes. “I know there’s been many conversations about the lack of pedestrian crossings along Brookdale,” she said. “It’s a little bittersweet because the traffic circle is such an iconic part of our city but it’s also really confusing.”
Good highlighted concerns about driveway placement near the new roundabout, particularly around the Harvey’s location, but overall called the plan “really good” and noted it will add green space to the area near the Ramada hotel.
Mayor Justin Towndale echoed her comments, noting the history of the traffic circle and its original connection to the high-level bridge that once funneled traffic into Cornwall. “It was put in so people coming into Cornwall could immediately head south,” he said. “With the moving of the bridge, it’s no longer required.”
Towndale emphasized the importance of ensuring the Rotary Club’s gateway features would be preserved in the relocation. “That helps in this regard,” he said. “Certainly, having surplus land that we could potentially sell helps because this is a big-ticket item.”
The project has already received over $3.6 million in provincial Connecting Links funding across three intakes to support the Environmental Assessment, design, and construction phases.
The Environmental Study Report has been posted for a 30-day public review period. If no objections are submitted to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, the project will proceed to detailed design and construction.
L’article Traffic circle to be replaced: Major Brookdale redesign est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
