Current Plan

The following is from the official Disraeli Bridges project website:

City Council approved plan for a four-lane rehabilitation



Concept Design - Modified A

On September 24th, 2008 City Council approved the plan to move forward with the Disraeli Bridges Project which includes a separate new Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge over the river.



Proposed location for bridges

* The final alignment of the Pedestrian/Cycle Bridge is yet to be determined. Over the next several months, Public Works will be meeting with the community and the Active Transportation Advisory Committee to review related issues and determine the final location
* The conceptual design for the project will be included in the Request For Qualifications (RFQ) process and further developed in the Request For Proposal (RFP) process

Why is the City not considering a six-lane bridge?

Background

* A design concept for a six-lane bridge was initially explored by Public Works and the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC)
* This involved two separate structures – a new structure, plus a refurbishment of the existing bridges
* A six-lane concept was not pursued further, however, as additional lanes are not warranted by traffic volumes in the foreseeable future
* A six-lane option requiring a separate structure would also need an Environmental Impact Assessment / Licensing which could potentially result in a one to two year delay
* The project is being undertaken in a way that the capacity of the bridge can be expanded in the future to meet additional capacity requirements when necessary.

Traffic Volumes

* Current traffic volumes on the Disraeli are approximately 42,000 vehicles per day in four lanes
* Daily traffic volumes upwards of 60,000 vehicles would merit consideration of a six lane structure
* Additionally, traffic volumes are limited at each end of the bridges by intersections at Hespeler Avenue, Logan Avenue and Main Street that would require capacity upgrades

Cost

* It is estimated that the cost for a six-lane bridge is between $250 - $300 million in 2010 – 2011 dollars (when the work is expected to be undertaken)
* The cost to go from four-lanes to six-lanes is a minimum of $110 million more than the recommended modified concept A design, which is estimated at $140 million

Fast Facts
* The extra $100 million required for a six lane bridge is the equivalent of fully reconstructing 300 residential streets