May 2, 2016
To Whom This May Concern,
Re: Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) – Preliminary Design and Environmental Assessment Study for the Rehabilitation / Replacement of Ottawa Queensway Mid-town Bridges from Holland Avenue to O’Connor Street (G.W.P. 4075-11-00) – Notice of Submission of Transportation Environmental Study Report
THE STUDY – The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has retained Morrison Hershfield Limited (MH) to undertake a preliminary design and environmental assessment study for the rehabilitation and / or replacement of twenty-three bridges (twelve locations) on Highway 417 (Ottawa Queensway) from Holland Avenue to O’Connor Street, in the City of Ottawa. This study determined the appropriate strategy for the rehabilitation or replacement of the bridges. The study areas are shown below.
Several alternatives were reviewed for each bridge including structural and construction staging options in order to minimize disruption to the Queensway. In addition, engineering, environmental, and property requirements have been established, along with the identification of mitigation measures to reduce or negate short and long term residual effects. Technically Preferred Alternatives have been identified for all twenty-three bridges and the recommendation is for rehabilitation of bridges at Holland, Parkdale, Fairmont, Bayswater, Bank and O’Connor and replacement of bridges at the CPR/O-Train, Preston, Rochester, Booth, Bronson and Percy. Full closures of the Queensway will be required for the bridge replacements for up to 82 hours at a time over a long weekend with Queensway traffic detoured to municipal streets including: Booth Street, Bronson Avenue, Carling Avenue, Catherine Street, Chamberlain Avenue, Gladstone Avenue, Kent Street, Somerset Street, Riverside Drive and Rochester Street. Other localized lane reductions, closures and detours will be required for general traffic, transit, cyclists and pedestrians.
THE PROCESS – This Study was completed in accordance with the Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000)process for a Group “B” project. External agency and public consultation took place throughout the study. As required, a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) has been prepared which includes a summary of the undertaking, consultation process, the existing environmental issues, alternatives evaluation, and the mitigation measures that have been developed to address environmental concerns. The public is encouraged to review this report. It will be available from Wednesday, May 4, 2016 until Wednesday, June 8, 2016 at the following locations:
| Ottawa Public Library – Main Branch
120 Metcalfe Street, Ottawa tel: 613-580-2940 Monday to Thursday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
Hintonburg Community Centre
1064 Wellington Street, Ottawa tel: 613-798-8874 Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Sunday: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. |
| Ottawa Public Library – Sunnyside Branch 1049 Bank Street, Ottawa
tel: 613-580-2940 Monday to Thursday: 10 a.m. – 8:30 p.m. Friday: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
McNabb Recreation Centre
180 Percy Street, Ottawa tel: 613-564-1070 Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sunday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. |
| Plant Recreation Centre
930 Somerset Street West, Ottawa tel: 613-232-3000 Monday to Friday: 6:45 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. Saturday: 7:45 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Sunday: 7:45 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
City of Ottawa Service Centre
110 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa Monday to Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. |
If, following consultation with MTO and MH, you have serious unresolved concerns with the project, you have the right to request the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change (77 Wellesley Street West, 11th Floor, Ferguson Block, Toronto, Ontario, M7A 2T5) to “bump-up” (i.e., make a Part II Order under the Environmental Assessment Act) this project. A Part II Order may lead to the preparation of an Individual EA. The Part II Order request must be received by the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change at the above address by June 8, 2016, and a copy of the request should be forwarded to MTO at the address below. If there are no outstanding concerns after June 8, 2016, the project will be considered to have met the requirements of the Class EA.
COMMENTS – If you would like to provide comments, or require additional project information, please contact the Consultant or MTO Project Manager listed below or visit the project website at www.queenswaymidtownbridges.com:
| Steve Taylor, P.Eng., Project Manager
Morrison Hershfield / BT Engineering 2440 Don Reid Drive Ottawa, Ontario, K1H 1E1 fax: 613-280-1305 e-mail: steven.taylor@bteng.com |
Peter Freure, P.Eng., Senior Project Engineer
Ministry of Transportation e-mail: peter.freure@ontario.ca |
While accessible locations are being used in accordance with the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA), if you have any other ODA requirements in order review the TESR at the locations listed above, please contact one of the Project Team members. All information will be collected in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (2009). With the exception of personal information, all comments will become part of the public record. Pour des renseignements en français veuillez communiquer avec Karine Bertrand au: (613) 739-2910 ou KBertrand@morrisonhershfield.com.
Yours truly,
Steve Taylor, P.Eng.
Project Manager
c.c. Peter Freure, Senior Project Engineer, MTO Eastern Region Planning & Design Section
Kevin Ogilvie, MTO Senior Environmental Planner
Andrew Harkness, Consultant Environmental Manager
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