A roundabout at the intersection of Wellington Road 109 and Wellington Road 5 is now expected to be completed in plenty of time before local roads are filled with travellers for the 2016 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM).
Wellington County construction manager Mark Eby advised Minto town council at its March 29 meeting the project is expected to proceed as scheduled this spring.
At a March 15 meeting, Minto Mayor and Wellington Warden George Bridge said he was advised by county officials if the project couldn’t be completed by the middle or end of June it would not be started, in order to avoid any chance of impacting the IPM, set to take place south of Harriston in September.
Bridge noted the project can’t begin until Hydro One moves a hydro pole near the intersection of Wellington Road 109 and White’s Road, where the roundabout is to be built.
Eby told council on March 29 that Hydro One has agreed to complete the hydro pole relocations at the intersection by June 1.
In an email to the Advertiser, Eby stated the roundabout construction is scheduled to start on June 6 – or earlier if Hydro One has completed their work.
“The county thanks Hydro One for their assistance in making this project come to fruition,” said Eby in the email.
“Could be the power of the press, because Hydro called after all those press stories were out there,” observed Bridge at the March 29 meeting. The tender to complete the work, let on March 31, will close on April 13.
A report will be presented to the county’s roads committee on April 19 with final approval expected at county council’s April 28 meeting.
Eby explained the contractor will be required to maintain two-way traffic on Wellington Roads 109 and 5 at all times. He anticipates the contractor will flag traffic during work hours and have the road open at the end of each day.
Eby explained the 8th Line of Minto will be closed to traffic at the Blind Line for the duration of construction.
“There may be a request to install a four-way stop at the intersection to aid with the traffic control in advance of the completion of the roundabout,” Eby said. “The only time that the intersection will be allowed to be completed closed will be for the placement of surface asphalt. This closure will be for a single day.”
The county has specified no work can occur on Fridays after 3pm to allow traffic to flow as normally as possible heading north to cottage country. The contract also specifies the roundabout has to be completed by Aug. 12.
Eby said the county plans on landscaping the centre of the roundabout in association with the IPM. Final landscaping will be completed after the IPM is over.
