The City of Barrie's Bryne Drive project is rolling ahead, with construction set to begin this year. "We'll be starting construction on Bryne Drive South in the spring of 2023. It will connect Caplan Avenue to Harvie Road, and it's expected to be completed by the end of 2024," said City of Barrie engineering project manager Aaron Toth. The project has been in the works since 2017 and will give motorists an alternate route to get to Mapleview Drive or Essa Road without taking the highway. "It's going to improve the connectivity between the south and north ends of Barrie. It will release some congestion in the south as well as provide some development opportunities in the south end of Barrie," added Toth. A five-lane roadway with off-road bike lanes and sidewalks, a new water main, a sanitary sewer and new stormwater management ponds are some features of the project. Toth said a contractor would be awarded this winter after the tender is released. "Excited for this project to get underway. It's been a long time in the works. Happy for the citizens of Barrie to have another outlet," Toth finished. The second phase of the project, Bryne Drive North, is expected to start in 2025 and connect Bryne Drive entirely. The project is anticipated to be completed the following year.
