County Road 4 road closure saves county $1M

Construction worker seen working on a culvert along County Road 90 on Thursday, October 11, 2018. (KC Colby/ CTV News)

While tweaks are still being made to the detour, the full road closure of County Road 4 in Bradford West Gwillimbury is making good progress.

The old culvert has been excavated and removed, and its replacement, a precast box culvert, will begin installation on Monday.

A full closure allows the culvert replacement to be completed within a single construction season, saving the county $1 million, whereas a partial closure would have extended the work over two seasons.

During the first week of the closure, the county made several adjustments after reviewing initial traffic patterns. Daily traffic flagging was introduced on 10 Sideroad and will continue throughout the closure on weekdays.

Additionally, signal timing at the intersection of 10 Sideroad and Line 8 has increased the length of the green signal duration for southbound traffic on 10 Sideroad, reducing queuing and improving traffic flow.

Bradford Greenhouses remain open for business during the construction period and can be accessed from Line 12 or Yonge Street, south of County Road 89. The Ultramar gas station at County Road 89 in Innisfil is open for business as well.

This closure is a part of a larger reconstruction project aimed at widening County Road 4 from north of Line 8 to County Road 89. The 10-kilometre project is divided into three phases, with the culvert replacement part of the first phase.

The project will widen County Road 4 from two lanes to four lanes, introduce a multi-use trail for active transportation, and enhance drainage and roadside safety. These improvements will facilitate better traffic flow and reduce future disruptions.

With construction moving on schedule, the road is expected to reopen on December 13 as scheduled.