Thunder Bay Expressway interchange idea up for public comment
A plan to build interchanges and overpasses on the Thunder Bay Expressway will come before city councillors Monday night.
The Ministry of Transportation is studying the potential of eliminating traffic lights between Arthur and Balsam Streets. Flyovers, or interchanges, could be built at every intersection along the expressway.
"At this point it's just a planning and preliminary design study," ministry spokesperson Annemarie Piscopo said.
"So, ultimately the long term vision for the Thunder Bay Expressway is a 4-lane divided highway with interchanges."
A similar study was started in the early 1990's, but it was never completed and no environmental work was done.
The current project's studies started in 2013, and are now just getting to the public consultation phase.
A public consultation will be held at the Airlane Hotel on June 23, from 4-8 p.m.
Another consultation will take place in the fall.
Thunder Bay expressway interchange recommendations include:
- Balsam Street — a partial cloverleaf system, 6 ramps
- Red River Road/Highway 102 — a partial cloverleaf system, 6 ramps
- John Street — fly over only
- Northwest Arterial [not yet developed] — interchange with 2 roundabouts
- Oliver Road — fly over with a ramp from the south (expressway) to get traffic onto Oliver
- Harbour Expressway — partial freeway-to-freeway interchange
- Arthur Street – "dogbone" interchange