The busy roadwork season in Thunder Bay is well underway. The City of Thunder Bay is investing $25.6 million in 2018 on a number of infrastructure improvements including road and sidewalk rehabilitation, residential paving, sanitary and storm sewer and watermain repair/replacement, bridge and culvert work, and streetlight renewal.

Summer also brings with it numerous community events to engage residents and visitors alike, often resulting in temporary street closures. Residents are reminded to obey detours and drive with extra care near these closures to allow everyone to enjoy the events in a safe environment.  

Temporary Street Closures for Events:

  • Bobby Curtola Drive (full street), Saul Laskin Drive (full street), and Sleeping Giant Parkway from Bobby Curtola Drive to just north of the Bight Restaurant Parking lot, from now until 6 pm on Monday, July 9, for the Thunder Bay Blues Festival
  • Bobby Curtola Drive (full street), Saul Laskin Drive (full street), and Sleeping Giant Parkway from Bobby Curtola Drive to the round-a-bout, every Wednesday from July 11 to August 29, from 5 pm – 9 pm, for Live on the Waterfront
  • Brunswick Street from Arthur Street to McGregor Avenue, on Tuesday, July 10, from 9 am – 4 pm, for the Teddy Bear’s Picnic
  • St. Paul Street from Red River Road to Van Norman Street on Saturday, July 21, from 8 am – 12 am, for the Really, Really, Really Long Table event
  • Queen Street from Memorial Avenue to the Wholesale Club entrance, and Fort William Road from Queen Street to Court Street, on Saturday, July 28, from 6 am – 6 pm, for the Fat Guys Auto Parts Car Show

Roadwork Ahead:

The following areas are scheduled for road and other major infrastructure work, or are currently undergoing work, that is expected to affect traffic:

Sewer and Watermain Work:

  • Edward Street, between Parkway Drive and Churchill Drive, will continue to be reduced to southbound traffic only, due to road and watermain work. This work is almost complete. Edward Street will be opened to traffic as soon as possible
  • Sewer and water construction in the McKellar Street area, from Dease Street to Bethune Street. Construction is expected to take up to eight more weeks to complete. Local access only
  • Storm sewer construction on Leith Street, from Archibald Street to McKellar Street
  • Storm sewer construction on Vickers Street, from 464 Vickers to Dease Park
  • Westbound traffic lanes on Arthur Street, from Leland Street to Madison Street, will be closed for storm sewer construction. Through traffic is being diverted to one lane in each direction on the south side of the road. Side street closures and left turn restrictions may apply
  • Banning Street, between Cornwall Street and Bay Street, is closed to through traffic due to the reconstruction of the sanitary sewer and watermain. The road will also be resurfaced. Work is expected to take up to eight weeks to complete
  • Road, sewer and watermain construction will take place on Court Street, from Bay Street to Wilson Street. The section of Court Street will be closed and will disrupt traffic flow in areas. Disruptions will include street closures to through traffic, disruptions to pedestrian and driveway access and loss of on-street parking. Construction is expected to start in mid-July and should take about eight weeks to complete
  • Watermain and sanitary sewer replacement and road construction will take place on High Street, from Elizabeth Street to Van Norman Street, and will disrupt traffic flow in areas. Disruptions will include street closures to through traffic, disruptions to pedestrian and driveway access, loss of on-street parking and possible interruptions to water service. Construction is expected to start in mid-July and should take about five weeks to complete

Road, Street Lighting, Bridge and Sidewalk Improvements:

  • The Ministry of Transportation will be rehabilitating four bridge structures on Hwy 61 between Rosslyn Road and Broadway Avenue. The highway will remain open to traffic during the day, but detour at night to Neebing Avenue. Work is expected to take up to six months to complete
  • Rehabilitation of the Main Street Bridge has begun. Over the course of the construction season, motorists can expect single lanes and full closure of the structure as work is completed. Details about the project, potential closure times and detour routes can be found at tbaymainstreetbridge.com
  • The westbound curb lane of Red River Road, from High Street to about 100 metres west, will be closed for sidewalk and retaining wall repairs for about four more weeks
  • Selkirk Street from Arthur Street to Walsh Street will continue to be under construction until the end of July. Work will occur in block-to-block sections. No through traffic, local access only
  • Sidewalk replacement is underway on Ford Street, Caroline Street, Marlborough Street, and Rupert Street. Watch for workers and some traffic disruption. Loss of parking and disruption to access to properties may occur
  • The north side of Frederica Street, from Brown Street to Edward Street, is slated for sidewalk replacement. There will be no on-street parking on the north side as work proceeds. The road will be limited to one-way traffic eastbound. Temporary pedestrian access ramps into businesses may be necessary
  • Road resurfacing work continues on Court Street, between Egan Street and Gibson Street. Work includes replacement of curb and gutter sections, new sidewalk, and resurfacing of the street. During construction, sections of Court Street will be closed to through traffic. Closures will be limited to two-block sections at a time
  • Brunswick Street from Walsh Street to Moodie Street will be closed for asphalt resurfacing work
  • Edward Street from Walsh Street to Mary Street will be closed for asphalt resurfacing and curb and gutter repair. No through traffic, local access only. The work is expected to last four to six weeks
  • Road resurfacing and storm sewer work will commence on Tungsten Street, from Central Avenue to Alloy Drive.  The work is scheduled to be completed end of August
  • Residential resurfacing work is scheduled to begin on Christie Street, and Highland Court
  • The northbound curb lane of Memorial Avenue, in front of TD Bank, will be closed at times for lane widening, and sidewalk adjustment. The work is expected to last for four weeks
  • Black Bay Road, from Dewe Street to Hodder Avenue, will have existing asphalt removed and resurfaced. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of July
  • Pedestrian crossover work at the intersection of James Street and Vale Crescent. Motorists are asked to watch for new crossover activation and relocation of transit stops
  • Eastbound lane reductions on Arthur Street, near Galaxy Lanes, during working hours. Private entrance work and landscaping is ongoing for about two weeks in July

The above list includes major, traffic-affecting construction. Other work, including sidewalk replacements and curb and gutter repairs, is scheduled for residential areas and other areas around the City. Schedules are subject to change. For more information, visit: thunderbay.ca/roadwork

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Contacts:     

  • Rick Harms, Project Engineer – 625-3071
  • Brian Newman, Project Engineer – 625-2521
  • Mike Vogrig, Project Engineer – 625-4321
  • Matt Miedema, Project Engineer – 625-3050
  • Aaron Ward, Project Engineer – 625-2444