Traffic During the Closure

During the rehabilitation project, there will be times when the Disraeli Freeway will need to be closed entirely. It is not clear at this point how often these full closure periods will occur. Because the Disraeli is a single span bridge, built with steel girders and metal plating that is covered in concrete, it may not be safe to conduct any of the removal of old material while traffic is using the bridge. Also, the pouring of concrete to resurface the bridge will most likely require complete closure, as traffic vibrations would affect the setting of the concrete.

It is absolutely essential that the city inform the general public as soon as possible of the predicted number and length of closure periods. If closure can be reduced to short periods and limited mainly to July and August, the traffic delays can be minimized. Any closures that are required during winter months will need to include appropriate traffic mitigation efforts by the city, to avoid delays of 30 minutes to an hour during rush hour.

In addition to the closure of the Disraeli Freeway itself, it is very likely that closure will be required for routes that run beneath the freeway for shorter periods of time. These routes are Midwinter, Sutherland, and Higgins Avenues, and any closure of Higgins Ave has the potential to increase traffic delays immensely as all Louise Bridge traffic would need to be routed to Waterfront Drive.

Along with the traffic gridlock that will occur during any closure periods, there are safety concerns involving two neighbourhoods in Elmwood: Glenelm and the western end of Nairn Avenue. In Glenelm, residents have long reported problems to city hall and to the police regarding speeding, the running of stop signs, and shortcuts through parking lots. During periods of closure, these problems will likely increase in number and severity due to highed volume and driver frustration. It is essential that action be taken before the Disraeli project begins to mitigate these problems. For Nairn Avenue, there is an unlighted pedestrian corridor that has been reported as a potential hazard; the current city rules have resulted in a rejection of a request for a lighted crosswalk due to low pedestrian volume. Because of the increased volume and expected aggressive nature of traffic along Nairn during closure periods, an exception to these regulations should be made.

Traffic mitigation options

• Twinning of the Louise Bridge: this is the plan recommended by this website, by Regan Wolfrom, Liberal candidate for Elmwood, and by Councillor Jeff Browaty. More information on this plan can be viewed here.


• Unidirectional Redwood Bridge: it is possible to use Redwood Bridge and Hespeler Avenue as a reversing four-lane route, similar to temporary one-way routes that have been created after Bombers football games. Adjustments would also need to include the intersection of Main and Redwood (to assure that the four-lane route empties onto Main Street as efficiently as possible) and the return of Glenwood Crescent to a two-way road (either temporarily or permanently).


• Speed bumps: traffic speeding up the avenues in Glenelm could be slowed down by speed bumps, while speed bumps at each stop sign along Glenwood Crescent, and also in places along Beatrice Street would also slow traffic.


• Curb extensions (bulb-outs): Nassau Street North already uses curb extensions in an attempt to calm traffic. This strategy can be used alone or in combination with speed bumps, particularly at the intersections of the Glenelm Avenues with Beatrice Street and Glenwood Crescent.


• Additional adult crossing guard(s) for Glenelm School: There is concern in Glenelm that aggressive drivers and increased volume will be overwhelming for existing child patrols, and that additional adult crossing guards will be needed during closure periods. The city should provide funding for these temporary positions as part of its rehabilitation budget, as it is not appropriate for this additional expense to be incurred by the school.


• Better police patrolling of Glenelm during rush hour: Residents have asked in the past for a police presence in Glenelm to deter speeding and other traffic violations. This should be considered a high priority due to the increased traffic volume expected.