New bridges, wider roads planned for busy Orillia highway corridors

Highway 11 sign in Orillia, Ont. (CTV News)

Changes are coming to one of Orillia’s busiest highway corridors.

A major infrastructure project to modernize the Highway 11/12 interchanges at Coldwater Road and Old Barrie Road is moving forward, with design work expected to get underway this year.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s Central Region says it will deliver the project, with construction crews scheduled to start between 2027 and 2030.

According to the release, global engineering firm Hatch has been selected as the design subconsultant to Dillon Consulting as part of the design-build team led by Green Infrastructure Partners.

Project features and upgrades

The work will see the full replacement of the underpass bridges at Coldwater Road and Old Barrie Road with longer, wider structures designed to support future traffic growth.

The job also includes reconstructing interchange ramps, widening Highway 12, upgrading lighting and drainage and adding a new carpool commuter lot.

Municipal water infrastructure will also be extended, while new multi-use pathways and other transportation features will be added.

Hatch says it will provide highway and structural designs for the Highway 11/12 and Coldwater Road interchanges. The company will also support environmental management during the design phase.

“This project represents an important investment in renewing aging infrastructure and improving network performance,” said Francesco Addario, project manager at Hatch. “Our team is committed to delivering practical, innovative solutions that support safe, efficient movement of people and goods through this key corridor.”

The release states that these improvements build on earlier planning and environmental studies that identified the need for more capacity and safer traffic operations.