Road repairs
 

All city funding lead to downtown streets

Kevin Werner Jun 06, 2008 Dundas Star News

Hamilton councillors ignored the crumbling conditions of suburban roads, and instead approved spending nearly $9 million in provincial funding to fix up the city’s downtown streets instead.

“We all have roads that need to be done,” said Ward 7 councillor Scott Duvall, who was one of only a handful of councillors who opposed the recommendation. “I thought there would be a sharing option. There are roads (identified) as hot spots in the 1980s that are still not done.”

A fiery Stoney Creek councillor Brad Clark blasted city staff during last week’s council meeting for directing the provincial funding to roads in the downtown area without providing a proper criteria as to why the decision was made.

“If we don’t do something about (the suburban roads) they will become like moon scapes,” he said. “They are 60 to 70 years old. I swear the (Battle of Stoney Creek) battlefield was fought there.”

Hamilton is expecting to receive by the end of June $8.8 million from the provincial government’s $400 million one-time capital investment to fix up roads and bridges in municipalities located outside the Greater Toronto Area. The announcement was made in the province’s March 2008 budget announcement.

City staff determined the best way to use the extra money was to upgrade 12 roads in the city’s downtown core. They include Aberdeen Avenue from Longwood Road to Studholme Road, Barton Street from Ferguson to James Street, Bay Street from Bridge to Cannon street, Hunter Street from John to Wellington Street south, King Street from Bay Street to James Street, Main Street from Dundurn to Hess Street and Wellington Street from King Street to Main Street.

City staff provided an alternative option for council’s consideration that identified eight streets for needed upgrades located in wards 4, 7 and 9. They were East 38th Street from Fennell to Queensdale, West 27th Street from Sanatorium to Price, West 35th Street from Scenic Drive all the way to the end, and Lake Avenue Drive in Stoney Creek from Queenston to King Street.

Even though city public works staff characterized these road as in dire need of improvements, they argued against councillors selecting the alternative option because the improvements would also include an extra (unfunded) $7 million in sewer upgrades.

“We are $100 million short (in infrastructure funding),” said Public Works General Manager Scott Stewart. “We could spend this money any where.”

Mr. Stewart and Corporate Services General Manager Joe Rinaldo said the funding needed to be used up within a year on projects that would be easily completed.

City staff argued it could take up to two years before the suburban road upgrades would be completed compared to one year for the downtown road projects.

But under intense questioning from Mr. Clark, city staff backtracked, acknowledging the province would not take back any of its funding.

Transportation Ministry spokesperson Bob Nichols said there is no criteria, nor deadline requirements for how municipalities use the funding.

Mr. Clark, who represents residents along Lake Avenue, said the city is spending less money this year on road repair than in 2007.

“I can’t support this,” he said. “We should deal with the dire roads first.”

Mr. Clark also questioned what criteria city staff used to select the downtown roads, but he came away unsatisfied with their answers.

Mountain councillor Terry Whitehead said he was “holding my nose” and voting for the downtown roads project. He pointed out over the last four months there have been four water main breaks along Upper James.

“Instead of fixing the roads, they are bursting and popping all over the place,” he said.

:slob:

I'm a pretty laid back kind of person but holy are they ever going to finish the road repair for Garth St?

It's been under construction since June 2008, nearly a year now. They did most of all the work before Christmas but all winter there was never any road paint. After awhile I figured it was a new open road concept or something.

Finally today they painted one section of Garth St.

Next the city is going to shut down Stone Church from West 5th to Garth. FINALLY! Potholes after potholes with pebbles sidewalks. Again this is suppose to last from June until Dec 09. Omni and Stone Church will shut down as well for a new roundabout at the same time.

I'm just guessing here as to what the hold-up might be with that, but there was a news story about the city trying some new environment friendly paint on the roads, with less toxins (if any) in them. Problem was it didn't hold up under our harsh winter conditions so the city will likely have to come up with something else. An example is King St. West between James and Bay, it was put down there last year and has already worn to the point where you can barely see any lines.

^ They are STILL working on the sidewalks on Garth St.

I screamed at the roads dept about the faulty line painting on Fennell between Upper Wentworth and Upper Wellington from the construction last year... there was a wrongly-placed yellow line and people were driving on either side of it. You'll noticed that it's fixed now.

Yep, the bike lanes along York are really faded - only after 1 winter? Must be the new paint they were trying out.

No matter, people drive all over them anyway. Some of those plastic poles are in order.

The final coat of asphalt may not go on until latter in the year. Usually after major sewer, water and roadwork, they will wait to see if the road will settle. It is not suppose to settle but it happens from time to time. They may get a bad connection or complaint about poor service and have to rip up a good road.

They're making short work on Victoria Ave, looks like it might be done by now

Nobody said infrastructure stimulus would be painless.

Anyone recall the year in the early '90s when the downtown Hamilton sidewalks were installed along King? A few businesses went under because of the decline in foot traffic as entire blocks reverted to gravel, which had to be regularly hosed down to prevent dust devils. Real Wild West atmosphere.

Mountain roadwork is often like this, it seems to me. The worst is when the projects lag and you have two or three major thoroughfares halved at the same time. But then again, everyone has to deal with construction delays eventually.

Quick fix coming for Aberdeen bridge

May 26, 2009
Nicole Macintyre
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/572041

The bridge connecting Aberdeen Avenue to Highway 403 will disappear next summer and reappear within 48 hours.

Call it a concrete magic trick.

The aging overpass has been selected by the Ministry of Transportation for rapid bridge replacement, an innovative engineering technique that has only been used a handful of times in Canada.

It would take two construction seasons to replace the bridge the old-fashioned way.

"This will be one weekend when traffic is impacted, instead of 12 to 18 months," said Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Will MacKenzie.

"It's a much more complex process."

The Aberdeen replacement is part of a two-year plan to rehabilitate eight local highway bridges and ramps, including York Boulevard, King and Main streets.

The ministry has yet to put a price tag on the massive project, which is about to be tendered. Work will be staggered from next summer to 2012.

Drivers can expect delays throughout the process, which will require some lane reductions and ramp closures. However, MacKenzie said the ministry will only work on one access at a time to limit the headache for drivers.

"It will be one after another."

Most of the bridges were built in the 1960s and have undergone few upgrades in the subsequent decades. Ministry consultant Edward Li said the structures are in poor condition with failing road surfaces, damaged and leaking joints and deteriorating supports.

The Main Street overpass was also damaged by fire in 2003.

Though there have been emergency repairs to the structures over the years, Li said a major overhaul is needed.

The Aberdeen bridge had to be closed temporarily in 2007 after a road crew discovered a hole in the deck. MacKenzie said the overpass is a perfect candidate for rapid replacement because it's made of concrete, while the other bridges have major steel parts.

Though rapid replacement is becoming increasingly popular south of the border, it's still rare in Canada. The technology has been used twice in Ottawa to replace bridges on the busy Queensway.

The Aberdeen project will be the first multi-span replacement in the country.

Michel Vachon, who was the structural design manager with McCormick Rankin for both Ottawa projects, said the technique reduces the environmental impacts of construction, such as air emissions, and the economic consequences of traffic congestion.

"In this case, there was high risk, high reward."

During a rapid removal, construction crews remove the old bridge using self-propelled modular transporters, which can lift loads as heavy as a fully loaded Boeing 747. The new bridge, which is made nearby, is then moved into place like a puzzle piece. Correct measurements are critical, said Vachon, noting the bridge's design allows for adjustments.

The first process in Ottawa in 2007, which took less than a day, drew more than 1,000 spectators. It also attracted the attention of the Discovery Channel and was broadcast live on the local TV station.

Timeline for repairs

Aberdeen Avenue: one weekend, June to August 2010

Main Street: 12 weeks, spring-summer 2010

King Street: six weeks, July to August 2011

York Boulevard: 16 weeks, spring-summer 2012

They've finally repaved a section of the Linc from the on ramp from the 403, close to Meadowlands. That section had so many friggin potholes but now it's nice and smooth. They must have done it overnight.

The new roundabout at Omni and Stone Church is beautiful! I figured they put a cement roundabout and that's it. Instead the roundabout has dirt in the centre so obviously it'll have flowers in the spring/summer and with red bricks edge/trimming. Awesome job.

:previous: Yeah, the roundabout looks good and works well. :)

Still a few people that don't yield - had a few close calls so far but becoming more rare as people become accustomed to it (use the roundabout every day myself as I live in that subdivision). But, all in all, the roundabout has cut down on the congestion for those who are trying to make a turn eastbound onto Stonechurch from Omni, including the bus.

A big :tup: to the city for the roundabout!

A sinkhole forced the closure of Upper James from Fennell to Mohawk St. Traffic nightmare on the Mountain obviously.

How long until York Blvd is done? That Library and Market seems to be taking forever. One can't even enter/exit JS on the north side anymore. And today coming from Burlington I noticed a new area of York down to two lanes.

Only thing taking longer is the Lister? What's up with that? do they intend to have it finished by 2015? Everything moves at a snails pace in this city. The ESB was built in 11 months.

Another sink hole is by Mohawk College on West 5th, curb lane southbound. It's been there for about 5 years. And the city recently only installed a sign indicating a 'bump' in the road. I move out of that lane to avoid it, it's bad, you'll kill your ball joints.

It's been really nice with York down to 2 lanes, hopefully an indication of what's to come with the 2 way configuration. It's so much easier and more fun to go up and down James street without the onslaught of speeding traffic at York. I wouldn't mind if it just stayed at 2 lanes!

Worst Roads in the Country from what I've seen. Absolutely a Shame.

Upper Wellington from the Linc to Rymal gets a vote for me. It's paved like a country road from the 1980s.

No Hamilton road has ANYTHING on Steeles Avenue West in Toronto... ugh.

I'm not talking so much about the 3 minute delay getting from Bay to James along York. It's PEDESTRIAN problem. I park north of the mall and it's getting to ridiculous to try and enter JS. It always was lame with only the library and Pete and Martys entrances, now both those are closed and it looks like forever before they ever finish this gawwdamn thing.