Peterborough city council has endorsed the next step in a major infrastructure project aimed at improving transportation connections and supporting future growth in the city’s east end.
Council approved recommendations tied to the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment for the Ashburnham Drive realignment and McFarlane Street bridge replacement, allowing the Environmental Study Report to move forward for a 30-day public review period and provincial approval.
The project is intended to address aging infrastructure and improve road and bridge connections in the east portion of Peterborough, where officials say existing layouts no longer meet current transportation needs or design standards.
The environmental assessment process formally began in September 2022.
City staff say the preferred alignment for Ashburnham Drive was selected after evaluating options for safety, connectivity, environmental protection and community impact. The proposed design would realign Ashburnham Drive east of the Trent-Severn Waterway and connect it with Maniece Avenue, Hunter Street and Old Norwood Road, while also linking to existing active transportation routes north and south of the study area.
The recommended road design includes sidewalks and boulevard bicycle lanes on both sides.
For the McFarlane Street bridge replacement, the preferred option calls for a new bridge immediately north of the existing structure. The replacement bridge would include two travel lanes, sidewalks and on-road cycling lanes on both sides.
Officials say the bridge evaluation considered transportation needs, construction feasibility and environmental impacts near the Trent Canal, including vegetation removal, restoration requirements and the management of in-water work.
The study also reviewed multiple cross-section designs for both the road and bridge to improve safety and better accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.
The Environmental Study Report will now be posted for a 30-day public review period before the project proceeds to the next stage of approvals.
(Written by: Jordan Mercier)
