Renfrew’s Whitton Road might look much different in the near future.
The Town of Renfrew is entering into a Work-by-Others Agreement with the Ministry of Transportation to handle a potential problem in the Highway 417 expansion.
On Tuesday, Director of Strategic Asset Management Mike Asselin explained to Town Council that the plan would close off Whitton Road from O’Brien Road before realigning it to connect with Innovation Drive.
Asselin says that town staff have sold the MTO on the solution, which would keep the entrance to Renfrew from the new Highway 417 safe without the need for some form of stop control on the ramp.
He adds that there’s another added benefit that would come with the realignment.
It’s a two-stage project, which Asselin says the MTO has been intrigued by since delegates from the Town of Renfrew met with staffers to talk about the project earlier this year, even if they are playing it cautiously.
The MTO will cover 71.4% of the $197,960 needed for an environmental study and preliminary design for the proposed realignment as part of Stage One of the project and will reconnect with town staff to discuss next steps afterwards.
(written by Kasey Egan)
