A full closure in both directions of Highway 401 will be implemented the weekend of July 22 from 11 pm until 7 am on July 23, according to a notice issued by the City of Oshawa yesterday.
The closure is scheduled to perform the bridge demolition on the existing Simcoe Street underpass at Highway 401. Lane closures will begin at 9 pm and are expected to re-open by 9 am.
The closure will be from Simcoe Street to Drew Street.
“As part of the construction operations related to Ministry of Transportation contract MTO 2022-2010 and as permitted by the contract document, Brennan Paving and Construction Ltd. will be implementing a weekend full closure of both bounds of Highway 401 from Simcoe Street to Drew Street,” said a city notice.
It said during this period, detour routes will be implemented to divert the vehicle traffic around the closed portion of the highway by utilizing the existing arterial roads. These detour routes are summarized as follows:
- Eastbound Traffic on Highway 401: All lanes of traffic will exit at the Simcoe Street off-ramp (WE/W. ramp) and follow Bloor Street eastbound until reaching the next available Highway 401 on-ramp located west of Fourth Avenue.
- Westbound Traffic on Highway 401: All lanes of traffic will exit at the Drew Street off-ramp (EN ramp), proceed north to the intersection of First Avenue and Drew Street, and then follow First Avenue westbound to Simcoe Street. From there, traffic will travel southbound towards the Simcoe Street on-ramp (N/SW) to access Highway 401 westbound.
Additionally, the following arterial roads will be closed with permitted access to the local traffic and immediate residents. These closures are as follows:
- Simcoe Street South: Closed from 150m north (at N/SW ramp) of Lviv Blvd to Bloor Street E/W.
- Albert Street: Closed from Third Avenue to Bloor Street E/W.
- Front Street: Closed from Third Avenue to Lviv Blvd.
- Lviv Blvd: Closed from Simcoe Street to Front Street.
Appropriate Signage such as Advance Notification Signs will be installed seven (7) days prior to the closure date to notify the travelling public of closure’s date and times. Additionally, ten (10) days prior to the closure, portable variable message sign boards will be installed on both bounds of Highway 401 for notification purposes.
All detour routes will be clearly outlined by the appropriate detour signage to guide traffic. Pay-Duty Officers will be present at key intersections to maximize the practical traffic flow.
