Construction to begin on new Kanata tunnel connecting to shopping centre

Construction is set to begin on a $28 million tunnel in Kanata that would extend Earl Grey Drive under Terry Fox Drive. CTV’s Dave Charbonneau reports.

Construction on the multi-million-dollar Earl Grey Drive extension that will include a tunnel under part of Terry Fox Drive near Highway 417 in Kanata is set to begin.

The $28.5 million project will see 140 metres of road added to extend Earl Grey Drive from the Kanata Centrum shopping centre west to connect with Didsbury Road on the other side of Terry Fox Drive. The project for the new two-lane road requires the construction of a new bridge structure as well as changes to two intersections.

The city says it will improve traffic flow in the Kanata Centrum area and provide a more direct bus route to and from Terry Fox station.

“Fundamentally, it’ll help the buses coming from Terry Fox transit station... They will come out and they’ll be immediately able to get on to Terry Fox and head up to Stittsville,” said Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry. “Right now, what they do is they meander all the way through this mall, and they take a back road through the through the very western part of this mall. And they go and end up going into Kanata South and around, when instead, they’ll just be able to get quickly out on to Terry Fox and up to Stittsville.”

The work also includes installation of new underground storm sewers and cycling and pedestrian facilities on the road.

Curry says the city has been collecting money for the project for 30 years.

“Ninety-five per cent of the cost of that $28 million comes from development charges, so not tax dollars. And it has been collected since 1995, believe it or not,” she said. “That development charge money was kept and invested and saved for this project. It was held up for a long time in land challenges, but it’s all been sorted out. So 95 per cent of the cost will be development charges, and then 5 per cent will be city tax dollars.”

City officials warn there will be various lane reductions throughout construction.

Some businesses in the area say the construction could provide benefits once it is completed.

“Really, I think it’ll be short term pain for long term gains. More people can get in and out of Centrum to make people’s lives easier that way. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s right in front of our business, too. So that’ll be nice,” said Montana’s general manager Mack Arnold.

“Since we have the parking lot behind us, that helps us. I think we will be less impacted for sure, but I feel construction in the Centrum is going to slow everything down even more now,” said Crazy Horse operations manager Andrew Lawrie.

Work is expected to continue until December 2027.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Dave Charbonneau

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