Oshawa business owners along Simcoe Street South are preparing for a challenging two years as Metrolinx moves forward with a full road closure to accommodate construction for the Lakeshore East GO Train extension to Bowmanville.
At a recent public information meeting, Metrolinx confirmed that bridge work on Simcoe Street is scheduled to begin as early as January 12, with the road fully closed between Albany Street and Avenue Street. During construction, vehicle traffic will be detoured along Stevenson Road.
The closure is required to rebuild the Simcoe Street bridge over the CN Rail tracks. The project will also add an additional track for expanded GO service, requiring a longer and higher bridge to meet modern standards.
Local business owner Sohan Lall, who opened Bargain Binz about 18 months ago in a plaza south of the former Tim Hortons site, said he is concerned about the impact on customer traffic. While the plaza will remain accessible from Albany Street, Lall said his business — like many others — depends heavily on traffic from Simcoe Street.
“We can’t be happy about what’s going on because we don’t know how it’s going to affect the business,” Lall said. “We just have to see what happens and hope for the best.”
Lall added that while he understands the importance of infrastructure improvements, he wished Metrolinx had communicated the scope and timing of the work earlier, particularly given the future construction of a new GO station near the former Knob Hill Farms site.
“We invested a lot of money into this location,” he said. “For it to potentially go down the drain is not a good feeling.”
Other nearby businesses share similar concerns. Erik Tamm, manager of Oshawa Markets, previously described the closure as “absolutely devastating,” noting that the market is located just south of the construction zone and north of Highway 401, where the Simcoe overpass recently underwent work.
Metrolinx vice-president Kerrie Kerenidis told attendees the agency is applying lessons learned from past transit projects, including light rail developments, to better manage schedules and minimize delays. She said the agency is working closely with contractors to closely monitor timelines.
Kerenidis emphasized that a full closure is necessary due to the bridge’s age and condition.
“The bridge is more than 100 years old, and we have limited information about its construction,” she said. “A phased or partial closure is not safe or feasible.”
In addition to Simcoe Street, bridge work is also planned for Albert Street, Wilson Road, Farewell Street, and Green Road in Bowmanville. Metrolinx said renderings of the rebuilt bridges and the new Oshawa GO stations will be released in the near future.
Photo Credits : https://www.durhamregion.com/news/metrolinx-on-track-to-close-simcoe-street-jan-12/article_d23d6cfa-0971-50c4-b3ba-70f2b0c4e708.html
