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Home My WebLink AboutINS-12-031 - Noise Exemption - Hwy 7-8 Reconstruction & Widening1 Staff Re ort p Krr~.~-~~,i~iER ~nfrastru~ture Servrces Department www.kitthenerta REPORT TO: Community & Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: March 19, 2012 SUBMITTED BY: John McBride, Director, Transportation Services PREPARED BY: Stephanie Brasseur, Traffic Project Coordinator (741-2373) WARD(S) INVOLVED: Ward 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 DATE OF REPORT: March 6, 2012 REPORT NO.: INS-12-031 SUBJECT: NOISE EXEMPTION -HIGHWAY 7l8 RECONSTRUCTION AND WIDENING RECOMMENDATION: That the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) and its contractor(s) be exempt from the provisions of Chapter 450 Noise of the City of Kitchener Municipal Code Article 6 Construction Work during the Highway 718 (Courtland Avenue to 1 km west of Fischer Hallman Road) reconstruction and widening project in the City of Kitchener. The request for the noise by-law exemption is between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. for the period March 7, 2011 to June 30, 2015. BACKGROUND: Morrison Hershfield will be managing and administering the Highway 7l8 reconstruction and widening for the MTO. In orderto complete the construction work and minimize traffic disruption for this project, night-time and weekend work must take place in orderto complete the project in the time allotment. This exemption is requested in orderto complete the work as required and is an extension to the original request outlined in INS-11-006 which gained approval for the original exemption through to December 31, 2013. This proposed work could require partial and complete closures of Highway 7/8, from Courtland Avenue to Fischer Hallman Road and will affect travel patterns in the area. Traffic interference will be minimized by working at night and weekends when volumes are significantly lower. REPORT: The project was delayed and will commence in the Spring of 2012 and be finished in June 2015, representing afour-year timeline. Reconstruction of the Highway 7l8 Widening includes: • Rehabilitation and widening of Highway 7/8 from fourto six lanes, including a median tall wall barrier; 8-1 1 Staff Re ort p Krr~.~-~~,i~iER ~nfrastru~ture Servrces Department www.kitthenerta • Interchange improvements at Courtland Avenue, Homer Watson Boulevard and Fischer- Hallman Road, requiring the temporary closure of some ramps during construction; • Major rehabilitation and/or widening of the structures at each crossing with reduced lanes and short-term weekend closures of side roads • Installation of high mast lighting • Installation of one changeable message sign for eastbound traffic between Fischer- Hallman Road and Homer Watson Boulevard • Relocation and/or retrofit of existing noise barriers and installation of new noise barriers where warranted. Project work for 2012 includes: • shoulder strengthening fortraffic staging • installation of right of way mounted noise barrier walls • construction of median storm sewer • asphalt median plug and extensions to culverts • rehabilitation of the Fischer-Hallman Road Underpass • construction of a new S-E ramp at the Fischer-Hallman Road interchange, and the completion work on the median • eastbound and westbound lanes up to the top of base course asphalt from the west project limit to the west of Westmount Road. Project Work for 2013 includes: • rehabilitation and widening of the Westmount Road Overpass, Courtland Avenue Overpass and CNR Overhead, and completion of the work on the median • eastbound and westbound lanes up to base course asphalt from west of Westmount Road to west of Homer Watson Boulevard and from the east of Ottawa Street Overpass, the remainder of work on the median • eastbound and westbound lanes up to the top of base course asphalt • installation of the high mast lighting and construction of median tall wall barrier throughout the project limits. Project Work for 2014 includes: • rehabilitation and widening of Homer Watson Boulevard Overpass and Ottawa Street Overpass, the remainder of the work on the median • eastbound and westbound lanes up to the top of base course asphalt • Installation of the high mast lighting and construction of the median tall wall barrier throughout the project limits. • The traffic staging will consist of maintaining two lanes of traffic in each direction on Highway 718 and will include median crossovers, short term closures and single laning of cross roads, ramp detours and closures, temporary ramps, temporary and portable traffic signals and temporary illuminations. Single-laning of Highway 718 in each direction will occur west of Fischer-Hallman Road. Overnight closures of Highway 718 will be permitted to complete surface course paving in echelon. 8-2 1 Staff Re ort p Krr~.~-~~,i~iER ~nfrastru~ture Servrces Department www.kitthenerta The general work relative to the noise exemption involves the following construction activities: • Night-time paving operations pouring concrete for the bridge decks • Bridge demolition and structural works. Night-time weekend works will be required for bridge demolition and box girder erection with two weekends per side for a total of fourweekends per structure for the Homer Watson, Westmount, Ottawa and Courtland Avenue structures. Noise from these activities will be a result of excavation equipment, jack hammers, saw cutting, equipment operations and reverse warning signals. Other noise, covers such items as milling, paving, temporary concrete barrier installation/removals, and line painting which are preferably carried out at night when traffic volumes are low to minimize disruption to traffic and to improve worker safety. Exemptions for operations of pile driving will not be completed during the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and will be restricted today-time work only. Noise protocol will be followed, which covers administrative measures such as scheduling of noisy activities at times of least impact, selection of haulage routes to minimize close proximity to neighbours, and maintaining contact with residents. The MTO, through execution of their highway widening projects, will complete as much work as possible during the permitted 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. construction time period. However due to the impacts of some types of work that require lane closures or full road closures, work will be executed after hours or atnight-time in an effort to reduce the significant impact to travel patterns within the City of Kitchener and Region of Waterloo. In order to expedite the construction and allow extended hours of work to take place for this project, thereby minimizing traffic impacts on Highway 718 and adjacent arterial roadways, we recommend that this request for a noise by-law exemption be granted. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: This initiative falls under the Community Priority of Quality of Life. "Work with partners, including all orders of government, to create a culture of safety in our community." The implementation of improved traffic flow and safety will provide positive direction for motorists. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None. COMMUNICATIONS: 8-3 1 Staff Re ort p Krr~.~-~~,i~iER ~nfrastru~ture Servrces Department www.kitthenerta All affected residents and property owners are advised of highway widening projects, including expected night-time work operations, through amail-out and Public Information Centre. As the project progresses, after hours and night-time work details will be communicated through a project website. ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, General Manager Infrastructure Services Department 8-4