$56 Million Dollars worth in upgrades - County Road 90

More than $56M in upgrades in the works for County Road 90 expected to take six years 

One of the busiest roads in the county is up for a facelift.

 As part of the Simcoe County Transportation Master Plan, County Road 90 between Barrie and Angus will be reconstructed over six years. The project begins next year and is expected to be done in 2019.

Average annual daily traffic studies for the road show 19,400 vehicles use it daily from Barrie to George Johnston Road, and 16,500 vehicles travel on it from George Johnston Road to Angus.

Because of growth in the area and the increasing number of users, the busy highway between the two municipalities will be reconfigured to five lanes, including a middle turning lane.

“It’s mainly because of the high volume of traffic that requires us to widen the road,” said Rick Newlove, Simcoe County’s general manager of engineering, planning and environment, adding there have been numerous collisions over the years, including some fatalities. “A lot of people use it as an alternate route to Wasaga Beach and Collingwood area.

“There is lots of access along there. People who are travelling and are in a hurry sometimes do things they shouldn’t,” he added. “This will avoid them having to pass someone who is travelling too slow, and they’ll be able to make a left-hand turn without fear of being rear-ended.”

The road has taken its toll over the years, according to OPP Sgt. Peter Leon.

“Just over 10 years ago, I responded to a two-vehicle crash on that stretch that resulted in five people being killed. A family of four in a car and a driver in a pickup collided head-on,” he said. “Any enhancements to a heavily travelled roadway that make it safer are fully supported by the OPP.”

The preliminary estimated cost at this time for the upgrades is $56.5 million, pending budget approvals. The project includes two major bridges, one over the CP rail line and another over the Nottawasaga River.

“The environmental assessment is complete and the county is purchasing property and looking at moving utilities out of the way, things like hydro, natural gas, (telephone), cable, fibreoptics,” Newlove said.

In January 1998, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation downloaded the road to the county, along with some other roads, including highways 50, 26/27 and 11.

This will coincide with the transit upgrades to Angus. For more on that click here

Courtesy Ian at Barrie Examiner