Third Phase for Third Crossing
3 June 2010
4 Comments
We’re now moving into the third phase of the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Third Crossing. Phase 1 answered the question, “Why do we need a Third Crossing?” Phase 2 answered the question, “Where should we put the Third Crossing?” And now we’re entering Phase 3 to answer the question, “How will we build a Third Crossing?”
A minority of councillors are being left in the dust, as they are still asking Phase 1 questions, while the majority have moved onto Phase 3. The next step in the study will cost $1.1 million and indicate how the Third Crossing will be built.
It could be:
- A two lane structure costing $114 million
- A two lane structure with a substructure for four lanes costing $139 million
- A four lane structure costing $181 million
Gore Road connection point
A special tip of the hat to councillors Leonore Foster, Mark Gerretsen, Ed Smith, Dorothy Hector, Joyce MacLeod- Kane, Sara Meers, Rob Matheson, and Mayor Harvey Rosen, for pushing this forward.
Phase 3 is scheduled for completion by May 2011. By then we’ll have a new council to decide how we move forward.
Phase 3 of the Environmental Assessment is not just about “how” to build the Third Crossing. The question remains of “whether” to build a bridge at all, and the Assessment process includes extensive testing of possible impacts on the river, the wetlands in the area and the effects of car pollution on the site as well, to name a few. Of course, for this to be called “news” you probably shouldn’t be so obvious as to congratulate the councilors who voted to continue with the EA. But then again, we all know this paper is just the mouthpiece of the Leonore Foster club.
The “Second” phase of the study will address exactly how the structure would be built. It will not address “whether” to build it. That will be up for council who better opt for it. Filling the obvious gap in our transportation grid is necessary.
Where did this so called Third Phase come from? I’m pretty sure this is the second phase.
Also great job on the website and paper! I love it.
Kingston East Residents….let’s work together to “encourage” council to build a third crossing!!! I know I am not the only one who has been driving around the past several months STUCK in traffic. I feel like I’m back in Toronto! It seems that not a day goes by when the 401 is not backed up for some reason or another. So, you turn around and head for the causeway and even before you reach highway 2…wham! … you hit a wall of traffic on highway 15. As a last resort, you try to head north of the 401 to get around the construction, and …wham again….more traffic and congestion.
Now I know there is some thought out there that the 401 won’t always be under construction, and thus this is just a temporary pain that does not warrant the building of another crossing. I disagree. If it is not the 401, then it will be Hwy 2 or Hwy 15 or the causeway or another reason that we cannot even predict at this juncture.
We must ask ourselves the “what if” questions…. What if someone needed to get to the hospital right away? What if there was an emergency and Kingston East needed additional emergency services from other parts of Kingston? What if you just can’t wait any longer for that pastry from Pan Chancho’s and you just have to have it NOW! We live in Kingston (not Toronto or Ottawa) and the taxes we pay should ensure that excessive traffic does not become an acceptable part of Kingston East life. What happens in 3 to 5 years when another several hundred homes are built on the west side of highway 15? What if the Canadian Forces decide to add an additional several hundred personnel to CFB Kingston? What happens when the Tim Horton’s distribution facility on Innovation Drive is fully operational adding in another 200 employees to the streets of Kingston East? It is incredibly shortsighted of Council and city planners to not plan and build a 3rd option for residents and employees of much needed businesses’ to travel back and forth from Kingston East!
Fellow residents – it’s time to force council to stop wasting time and our time and money on study after study. This MUST be a central election issue not just for our district candidates, but for our mayoral candidates as well. The third crossing is absolutely essential NOW and not years from now when we it will take 45 minutes to get downtown or to Montreal Street via the 401. It will take years just to plan and build the crossing even if council were to approve the project today. We must plan for the future and if council continues to waste time and resources, then it is our civic duty to keep the focus on the issue and get it done. Let’s mobilize ……I’ll join you when I’m finished eating my pastry.
Christine said it well as now is the time to stop waffling and get building that bridge linking Kingston.
The tragic shut-down of the eastbound 401 on July 6 created chaos downtown and unfortunately will not be the only accident causing such a problem. As I FINALLY was able to cross the causeway towards home, the east-bound road on the causeway just short of the lift bridge was partially blocked by a huge automobile-carrying truck whose driver was out measuring the lift bridge to see if he could safely proceed.
Rush hour is no different as streets are clogged with cars trying to reach the causeway which is already ‘overcapacity’. This congestion does wonders for the environment…
A more northerly bridge will relieve this daily congestion and also in the event of road shutdowns (“Big Dig” and collapsing hotel included).
As for the people along Gore Road and environs, when we moved to Kingston nearly a dozen years ago, our excellent real estate agent informed us of the possibility of the bridge being built. If people have purchased property bordering on Gore Road without being informed of this proposed bridge, sue your real estate agent, don’t hold the rest of Kingston east residents hostage!
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