City councillors in Oshawa, Ont., are urging Metrolinx to reconsider the planned closure of a major road in the city for its GO train expansion project heading east.
Pre-construction activities at the new Central Oshawa GO Station, situated at 500 Howard St., just north of Highway 401, have already started as preparations for the new station move forward.
As part of extending the Lakeshore East line to Bowmanville, Metrolinx is set to build two stations in Oshawa.
The provincial transportation agency hasn’t revealed how it plans to develop the Central Oshawa location or when construction will kick off. However, local councillors say discussions suggest that Simcoe Street might be closed for up to a year.
Ward 5 Coun. John Grey expressed concerns about closing the road, calling it “irresponsible” while speaking with .
“That would just be devastating from a business point of view, traffic congestion,” Gray said.
“The 401 widening is happening at the same time, but unless everything is well coordinated, we’re going to have bedlam if we’re not careful.”
Simcoe Street runs continuously through Oshawa from Lake Ontario all the way north past Port Perry, Ont.
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City Coun. John Gray says a full closure of Simcoe Street would cut off vital access to businesses, Highway 401 and divide Oshawa’s north end from the south. (City of Oshawa )
Gray noted that closing down this section would hinder crucial access to Highway 401 and split Oshawa into two disconnected parts.
“I’d like them to take the lesson of the MTO (Ministry of Transportation),” Gray said. “They replaced the Simcoe Street bridge at the 401, and they did it in stages.”
This week, Gray submitted a motion asking Metrolinx to collaborate with city officials and Durham Region to phase their construction work instead of implementing complete road closures.
The motion was approved unanimously.
“Our desire is to get them to understand there’s going to be severe community impacts and we need them to take that into consideration when they roll out their plans,” Gray said.
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Business owner Hassan Mohammed worries he will have to shut down his Simcoe Street butcher shop and grocery store if the roadway is closed for up to a year. (Christian D’Avino/CBC )
‘Death nail’: concerned business owner
Construction schedules are still being finalized according to Metrolinx spokesperson Andrea Ernesaks in an emailed statement. “Bridge upgrades along with other major construction activities are required to deliver the Bowmanville Extension and will require lane and road closures,” Ernesaks wrote. “Metrolinx is working closely with the Region of Durham and the City of Oshawa to make sure measures are in place to minimize traffic impacts and keep connectivity throughout the construction period where practical.” Affected business owners claim they’ve not received any updates from Metrolinx regarding construction plans; however, they worry that a year-long closure could hurt their businesses significantly. Hassan Mohammed opened Baitul Mukarram Supermarket-a halal butcher shop and grocery store-just three weeks ago. “This is my first ever business,” Mohammed told . “I just lost my job in June, and I thought I’d probably like to open up this business.” Mohammed mentioned he’s finally starting to attract customers after hiring staff and securing loans for his shop.Praising initial support he’s received so far makes him anxious about how a closure could limit customer access.
“I’d say most of our customers drive here from North Oshawa or South Oshawa,” he added.
People joke about delays on projects like Eglinton (Crosstown), but he fears this could be detrimental for his own venture.
“This really feels like death nail on my business.”
Mohammed supports overall expansion efforts by GO Transit believing it’s beneficial for Durham Region but wishes Metrolinx listens closely to council feedback.
Councillor Gray expects demolition work might start by June but thinks it’ll likely push back until November instead. Metrolinx hasn’t confirmed when major construction on these new stations will actually commence.
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