In 1997, the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton (Region) completed a Transportation Planning process that outlined the regional transportation needs for Ottawa-Carleton to the horizon year 2021. The Region’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP) identified the widening and extension of Terry Fox Drive as an important component of the Region’s future transportation system.

In the Fall of 2000, due to increasing high-tech growth and development pressures in the west urban area, the Council of the former Region appointed engineering firms to carry out designs for several major transportation projects. Among these projects were the five sections of Terry Fox Drive extending from Eagleson Road in the south to March Road in the north. This was to also allow the projects to immediately proceed to construction when funds became available through the various federal and provincial funding programs.

As part of the 2002 Capital Budget review, Council approved funding for the following sections of the Terry Fox Project, subject to written confirmation of Federal/Provincial funding:

· Campeau Drive to the re-aligned Richardson Side Road

This project will extend Terry Fox Drive from its existing two-lane section north of Campeau Drive to provide a four-lane urban divided cross-section from Campeau Drive to a location approximately 60 m north of the re-aligned Richardson Side Road. The realignment of Richardson Side Road from the intersection with Terry Fox Drive to existing Richardson Side Road to the east is also included in the construction as a two-lane undivided urban cross-section.

· Hazeldean Road north to Highway 417 (Queensway) Overpass Upgrade Limits

The existing section of Terry Fox Drive is currently a two-lane road (with widenings at intersections for turn-lanes) within a defined right-of-way (ROW). This section will be designed as a new four-lane urban divided roadway.

In addition to the above, Council approved the extension of the existing two-lane Terry Fox Drive from its current terminus at Castlefrank Road southerly to Fernbank Road. However, the scope of this project was reduced from a four lane urban section to a two lane rural construction, to facilitate immediate construction within the available funding for these road projects.

DISCUSSION OR ANALYSIS

With the construction of Terry Fox Drive from Highway 417 to Hazeldean Road as a four-lane urban section and as a two-lane rural section south to Fernbank Road, a transition/taper section is required south of Hazeldean Road from the four-lane divided to two-lane undivided. The cost to extend Terry Fox Drive with four lanes to the Carp River (i.e., just south of Winchester Drive) plus a taper to transition back to two lanes to match existing is estimated at $2,200,000. This estimate includes:

Construction of 450 m of four-lane divided roadway including the intersection at Winchester.
Construction of four-lane to two-lane transition taper (approx. 300 m long).
Storm sewer and outlet to Carp River.
Carp River culvert extension.
Glen Cairn Pond Retrofit.
Streetlighting and traffic plant.

Staff reviewed the possibility of shortening the transition/taper length, however, with the shorter lengths the design elements are all at minimum requirements and are concurrent, rather than occurring sequentially. The horizontal lane shift and the lane merge would occur in too short a distance for traffic safety concerns.

In addition staff have reviewed the operation of the Winchester/Terry Fox intersection and using the 2016 Horizon traffic volumes, the intersection will fail in both the north and south direction for traffic level of service with a two-lane cross-section.

Based on the foregoing, staff recommends that the four-lane cross-section be extended south of Winchester, at which point it could be properly transitioned into a two-lane cross-section.

Work items 3 to 6 above are required regardless of transition length as they provide the necessary storm water outlet for the southerly portion of the 417 to Hazeldean section of Terry Fox Drive.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

The impacts/effects were investigated as part of the Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for Terry Fox, completed and approved in 2000. The storm water works will improve water quality. The reduced traffic congestion will improve air quality and noise levels.

RURAL IMPLICATIONS

Rural issues were identified and addressed in the Terry Fox EA Study.

CONSULTATION

The Terry Fox Drive Environmental Study Report involved extensive public consultation with the community at large leading to the approval of the recommended alignment and project details. A public meeting with the community was held on 25 October 2001 to answer and accommodate public concerns. In addition, a public information session was held on 22 May 2002 to present detailed design drawings to the public.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

The transfer of funds from the stipulated accounts is to accommodate the Development Charges (DC) portion of the Terry Fox Drive Project from similar funded projects. The proposed funding sources are from existing projects that are essentially completed construction works and require minor capital amounts remaining for property or warranty period contingency concerns.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

900048

900066

900051

901115

Approved Budget to Date

16,022,000

7,645,000

12,122,442

2,100,000

Increase (Decrease) in Authority

(1,100,000)

(800,000)

(300,000)

2,200,000

Revised Budget

14,922,000

6,845,000

11,822,442

4,300,000

Total Paid & Committed

(14,841,282)

(6,266,128)

(11,622,876)

(3,957)

Balance Available

80,718

578,872

199,566

4,296,043

Funds are available for transfer from Order No. 900048 (Hawthorne Road, Hunt Club to Walkley) in the amount of $1,100,000, bringing the revised total budget to $14,922,000, Order No. 900066 (March Road, Solandt to Klondike), in the amount of $800,000, bringing the revised total budget to $6,845,000, and Order No. 900051 (Conroy Road, Hunt Club to Walkley) in the amount of $300,000, bringing the revised total budget to $11,822,442, to Order No. 901115 (Terry Fox Extension, Hazeldean to Fernbank) (reference page 210), 2002 Capital Budget, bringing the revised total budget to $4,300,000.

The existing authority in the amount of $2,100,000 is for the extension of Terry Fox Drive south of the above referenced transition section and was approved in Order No. 901115 as part of the 2002 Capital Budget process. This section was to extend from Castlefrank to Fernbank as a two-lane rural cross-section (the same standard as the existing Terry Fox Drive south of Hazeldean Road). Since the estimated cost of this work is $3,000,000, the project will be constructed as far south as possible within current project authority, and any shortfalls could be addressed as part of the 2003 budget process.

DISPOSITION

Upon the approval of transfer of funds and the receipt of Provincial and Federal funding for the sections of Terry Fox (North of Hazeldean Road), these projects will be tendered and constructed. The construction will take approximately one year to complete.