We are currently in the early stages of the study with completion expected in 2010. Five of eleven reports have been presented to the public for review and comment. The review period for comments has been extended to September 30, 2008.

The second round of public information centres (PICs) was held in June 2008. A total of six rounds of PICs are planned during the course of the study, supported by additional stakeholder meetings and workshops at key points during the study process. Key information presented at the second round of PICs included:

• Area transportation system problems and opportunities;
• Area transportation system alternatives, including opportunities for alternate modes of transportation to reduce road based demand within the analysis area;
• Existing and new corridor alternatives.

Additional information about the study, including the study process and study schedule, can be found by visiting the study website at www.7and8corridorstudy.ca.

 

The assessment and evaluation of the existing and new corridor alternatives will identify the benefits and negative effects associated with each alternative.   The project team is aware of the extensive agricultural operations in the area.  Agricultural impacts will be an important consideration in the assessment and evaluation process.

A bypass of New Hamburg is only one of the alternatives being considered to ensure Highway 7&8 remains an efficient and sustainable transportation corridor for the movement of people and goods and supports the anticipated growth.  The recently completed rehabilitation work on Highway 7&8 from Waterloo Regional Road 1 to Waterloo Regional Road 5 was undertaken to address the immediate to short-term needs.  There currently is no long-term plan in place that protects for the forecasted traffic volume increases up to the year 2031 and beyond.

 

The study is considering a broad range of alternatives to ensure Highway 7&8 remains an efficient and sustainable transportation corridor for the movement of people and goods and supports the anticipated growth.  These alternatives include:

• improved inter-city transit;
• transportation demand management;
• widening the existing highway throughout;
• widening the existing highway, with bypasses of New Hamburg, Shakespeare and/or Stratford;
• new corridors (north and south of the existing highway);
• limiting highway access;
• combinations of the above alternatives.

The preliminary planning phase of this study has identified potential benefits with an expansion of the existing rail service between Stratford and the Kitchener-Waterloo area and an inter-regional transit service in reducing the highway based demand.  Alternate modes of transportation were thoroughly reviewed and accounted for when forecasting traffic increases to the year 2031, with the appropriate reductions in traffic volumes applied.

The selection of a preferred corridor is a very important step in the study process.  A range of corridor alternatives is under consideration, which includes the existing corridor, bypass corridor alternatives and new corridor alternatives.  Environmental investigations are undertaken to identify significant and sensitive features of the natural, socio-economic and cultural environments so they can be avoided, or so impacts can be minimized to these areas during the generation and evaluation of corridor and route alternatives.

To-date, the natural, socio-economic and cultural environmental features within the analysis area have been documented on the basis of secondary source information (existing/secondary source information – mapping/constraint mapping, data, and reports) supplemented by preliminary field reconnaissance.  Field investigations are being undertaken to augment this information and will assist the Highway 7&8 project team with the assessment and evaluation of corridor alternatives, the selection of the preferred corridor and the future generation of routes within the preferred corridor.

The Highway 7&8 project team would appreciate the opportunity to access private properties to ensure we obtain the best information about existing environmental features within the analysis area.  However, please note that you are not obligated to grant the Highway 7&8 project team access to your property.  It is solely your decision.

 

We are planning to hold community stakeholder workshops in mid to late September.  The workshops will bring together representatives from the community to assist us in better understanding the effects of the various alternatives under consideration.  This information will be considered during the assessment and evaluation process for the selection of a preferred corridor.  The preferred corridor will be presented to the public for review and comment either later this year or early next year.

If you have any questions about the study, please contact one of the following individuals:

Mr. Charles Organ, C.E.T.
MTO Project Manager
Ministry of Transportation
Southwestern Region, Planning and Design
659 Exeter Road, London, ON  N6E 1L3
Toll Free 1 (800) 265-6072
Tel. (519) 873-4591;  Fax (519) 873-4600
Chuck.Organ@ontario.ca

Ms. Brenda Jamieson, P. Eng.
Consultant Project Manager
Totten Sims Hubicki Associates
300 Water Street, Whitby, ON  L1N 9J2
Toll Free 1 (866) 921-9268
Fax (905) 668-0221
brenda.jamieson@aecom.com

Highway 7&8 is identified as a regionally significant part of the overall provincial highway network.  It plays a key role in linking larger communities and supporting economic prosperity across Ontario.  The task of managing a sustainable provincial highway network includes planning for the future.

In 1975, a new route for Highway 7&8 was designated, based on a study that recommended a future plan for a new four-lane highway with a southerly alignment bypassing Stratford and proceeding easterly to New Hamburg.  As a result of objections from the municipalities and the agricultural community, the route was reassessed between 1979 and 1982.  Due to further opposition, and with the agreement of the municipalities, the Ministry of Transportation revoked the designated route in 1982. 

More recently, in December 2002, MTO concluded a Corridor Assessment for Highway 7&8 which identified a future need for safety and operational improvements and increased highway capacity, and recommended a Study Design be initiated as a first step in the Environmental Assessment (EA) process.  The Study Design, completed in early 2006, confirmed the need and justification for safety, operational and capacity improvements for the Highway 7&8 corridor and recommended a future Corridor Planning and EA Study be initiated.  In August 2006, the Minister of Transportation announced that MTO would commence the Corridor Planning and Class EA Study in early 2007.  Subsequent to this announcement, the study was placed on the ministry’s Southern Highways Program.

In February of 2007, MTO retained the services of Totten Sims Hubicki (TSH) to assist MTO in completing the above Study with the objective of developing a long-term strategy and preliminary design that addresses the identified transportation needs to 2031, and obtain the necessary environmental clearance to implement the recommended strategy.  This Study is currently in the preliminary planning stage and is expected to be completed in 2010.

One aspect of the overall strategy will be the determination of when and where the identified safety, operational and capacity improvements should be implemented over the 30-year planning horizon.  An implementation strategy will be developed for the recommended improvements; however, the actual construction timing will be subject to the availability of funding as the forecasted needs become realized. 

Since this Study is in its early stages, it is difficult to determine an accurate sequence of future events leading to property acquisitions and construction as a broad range of decisions have yet to be made.  When environmental approval is obtained, MTO will consider prioritizing the study recommendations against other highway expansion needs throughout the province and programming the Highway 7&8 Study recommendations.