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JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
Huntsville’s Diggin’ Downtown Stage 2 Road Closures Start Early June
The Diggin’ Downtown Huntsville project is getting ready to enter Stage 2 of construction in the upcoming weeks. Main Street will be closed to traffic from Brunel Road to Centre Street including King Street, for Stage 2 work.
Upgrades and repairs to the driving surface on the swing bridge are almost done. In early June, the bridge will be open to traffic and pedestrian access will remain open at all times. Repair work will continue on the underside of the swing bridge and sidewalk railings, but will not impact vehicular traffic over the bridge. Access to River Street will be closed until the bridge work is completed as this road surface will be used as a storage area for bridge equipment.
Some Stage 1 restoration work may continue during this time to allow crews to finalize sidewalk work including tree planting, installing the Brunel traffic signals and lamp posts. Staff are working with partners and vendors who continue to experience material and supply chain delays due to the pandemic – however they are optimistic this will not impact the schedule for opening the roadway to vehicular traffic.
Community Information Session
The Town of Huntsville and District of Muskoka will be hosting a Community Information Session via Zoom on Wednesday, June 2 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. to provide the community with updates on the project. Those interested in attending the session or submitting questions in advance, are encouraged to visit Huntsville.ca to register. Zoom meeting invitation details will be sent to registrants prior to the session. The session will be recorded and available on online for viewing at any time.
Stage 2 - What’s Happening
Starting early June:
- Underground water and sewer infrastructure replacement on Main Street in the area from Brunel to West Street
- New sidewalks, boulevards and parking spaces with streetscaping elements
- King Street streetscaping
- Town Hall ramp
Stage 2 - Road Closures and Detour Routes
Starting early June:
- Main Street closed from Brunel to Centre Street.
- Active construction zone from Brunel to West Street
- Passive construction zone from West to Centre Street (Section closed for material storage)
- King Street closed
- Westbound and eastbound traffic will be directed south of the construction area onto Brunel Road, Veterans Way and Centre Street
- Traffic travelling north or south will be directed between Brunel Road and Centre Street, along Veterans Way
- River Street will remain closed to vehicular traffic with pedestrian access available to the sidewalks
- Pedestrian crossing will be available at the bridge
Diggin' Downtown construction began in March 2021 to address aging underground water and sewage infrastructure. Replacing the infrastructure also created an opportunity to improve the pedestrian experience with new sidewalks and streetscape elements to provide a more attractive and accessible downtown, including a smooth new driving surface.
The project consists of five stages in total. Stages 1 to 4 are planned in 2021, with Stage 5 wrapping up all construction activities in the spring of 2022. Accessibility will be maintained downtown Huntsville during construction. All businesses will remain open following COVID-19 protocols.
To stay in the know regarding construction news, timelines, detour information, maps and resources for the duration of the project visit Huntsville.ca/diggindowntown. Residents, businesses and visitors are encouraged to ask questions on EngageMuskoka.ca.
Diggin’ Downtown, Huntsville’s Streetscape project is funded in part by the Federal Gas Tax Fund. The Town of Huntsville is using $606,952 of Federal Gas Tax Funds for the Main Street Project.
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