QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment - - PDF document

10/3/2013 1

QEW QEW

Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

• October 7, 2013

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

2

Agenda

• Study Overview
• EA Objective
• Study Area
• Key Tasks
• Short List of Alternatives
• Technically Preferred Alternative
• Next Steps

10/3/2013 2

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

Study Objectives

• For the Garden City Skyway, determine a long-term

strategy to address:

• Structural needs
• Road safety needs
• Operational needs

3

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

Major Tasks

4

10/3/2013 3

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

Study Area

CITY OF

• ST. CATHARINES

TOWN OF NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

6

Project Background

• Garden City Skyway is 2.2 km long, and carries 6 lanes
• f QEW traffic
• Anticipated that deck replacement will be required by

approximately 2025

• Completed in 1963, the bridge has high heritage value

10/3/2013 4

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

Short List of Alternatives

• Widening (and rehabilitate existing bridge)
• Twinning (and rehabilitate existing bridge)
• Replacement Bridge (Demolish existing bridge)
• Replacement Tunnel (Demolish existing bridge)

7

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment Summary of PIC 1

• PIC 1 held on March 30, 2011
• Presented Short List of Alternatives
• 45 people attended
• 18 comments received regarding:
• Property impacts
• Traffic impacts during construction
• Heritage and aesthetics
• Preference for bridge or tunnel
• Driver safety

8

10/3/2013 5

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

9

Evaluation Criteria

• Natural Environment
• Socio-economic Environment
• Cultural Environment
• Technical Considerations

(Transportation, Constructability, Cost, etc.)

Independent Value Engineering and Cost Risk Assessment Workshops were also completed as part of the evaluation process.

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

Technically Preferred Alternative: North Twinning

10

10/3/2013 6

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

11

Recommended Cross Section

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

12

Rationale for the Preferred Alternative

• Twinning is preferred because:
• Maximizes use of existing bridge
• Minimal traffic impacts during construction & future rehabilitations
• Low cost compared to Replacement Bridge/Tunnel alternatives
• Technical feasibility
• North Twinning (vs. South Twinning) is preferred because:
• Fewer constructability risks relating to Homer Bridge
• Improves flexibility for future Homer Bridge replacement
• Property impacts due to south twinning difficult to mitigate
• Fewer construction staging impacts to municipal roads

10/3/2013 7

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

North Twinning: Key Impacts

13 Coon Road Potentially Closed Queenston Road Truncated Travel Information Centre Displaced Property Impacts

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

Next Steps

• Hold Property Owner Session prior to PIC 2 (October 22, 2013)
• Present findings at PIC 2 (October 22, 2013)
• Complete Preliminary Design (Early 2014)
• Hold PIC 3 (Spring 2014)
• File Transportation Environmental Study Report (Late 2014)

14

10/3/2013 8

QEW QEW Garden City Skyway Environmental Assessment

Thank You!

www.qewgcs.ca

15