Speed limits to drop to 60km/h during bridge replacement

MAPLETON – Speed limits are set to drop from 80 to 60km/h on sections of Sideroad 15 and Concession 12, northwest of Drayton. 

The reductions are temporary and meant to mitigate the impact from an expected traffic increase during scheduled work on Simmon’s Bridge this year.

Increased police enforcement will also be requested during the bridge work. 

Wellington Street North (Wellington Road 11) is set to be closed from May 25 until late October, while the bridge is rehabilitated. 

Though the county’s detour route directs traffic along Wellington Roads 7 and 12, Mapleton officials expect some drivers will use Sideroad 15 and Concession 12 instead. 

An information session was held at the PMD Arena in Drayton on March 11, and residents expressed concerns about the increased traffic on these roads and asked officials to reduce speed limits. 

Mapleton staff proposed permanently reducing the limit from 80 to 50km/h on Sideroad 15, between Wellington Road 8 and Concession 12, and on a portion of Concession 12, 750 metres west of Wellington Road 11. 

But council opted instead to bring the limit down to 60km/h just for the duration of the Simmon’s Bridge rehabilitation work.  

Councillor Marlene Ottens said she could see residents wanting the speed reductions to remain after the construction is over, particularly on Sideroad 15, where there is a cluster of houses.  

Councillor Michael Martin said he has friends who live on the affected section of Concession 12, and high speeds make “getting out … challenging at times, especially as their driveway happens to be down in a valley, so it’s a hill on both sides.”

But he noted speed reductions in Mapleton “historically haven’t always been evidence-based,” with changes being implemented based just on resident complaints. 

He said while he supports the temporary reduction, he would like to see the need for a reduction evaluated before making it permanent. 

Township public works director Jamie Morgan said he’s borrowing two speed and traffic count units from Wellington County and is set to collect data on the roads and upload it into a Transportation Authority of Canada (TAC) program that analyzes need for speed reductions. 

That data will include the numbers of driveways, site lines and topography, and the TAC program will provide a recommended speed limit for the stretch of road. 

Mayor Gregg Davidson said the township could do the same thing with other roads moving forward “so we don’t have to sit here as council and discuss and debate [speed limits] – we’ll have an actual formula that we use.

“So I think that’s the best step forward – for us to look at this as a temporary piece and then Mr. Morgan go back and develop a policy.”