Months of traffic woes coming to busy road in Barrie’s south end

Construction pylons line a section of Big Bay Point Road in Barrie, Ont. for a major road project underway in 2019.

Traffic along Big Bay Point Road between Bayview Drive and Huronia Road in Barrie’s south end will have to contend with lane reductions starting Thursday and lasting several months.

The City says crews are undertaking a water infrastructure upgrade on Big Bay Point Road to prevent future failures and disruptions, which means reinforcing pipe that has been showing signs of corrosion and deterioration.

The road will be down to one lane in each direction, with traffic control in place.

Motorists should expect delays through the area. The work will impact Barrie Transit. The City says Route 12 riders can expect a detour with two Transit -On-Demand bus stops - 674 and 803 - out of service during construction. Riders are encouraged to check online for updates.

Additionally, the cycling lane on the south side (eastbound) will remain open, but the bike lane on the north side (westbound) will be closed.

“Signage will be posted to prohibit left turns from eastbound and westbound Big Bay Point Road to Welham Road,” the City noted.

The City said the project involves excavating access pits roughly every 100 metres, installing a new liner within the existing pipe, and eventually restoring the road surface and pavement markings.

A few years back, motorists dealt with months of detours and bumper to bumper traffic as this same section of Big Bay Point Road underwent major construction to widen it to five lanes. The work wrapped up in October 2020 after several unforeseen delays. The project was related to the Harvie Road bridge project over Highway 400.

The current project is expected to be completed by December.