FAQs

Yes. The complete roadway including curbs, boulevards, and sidewalks will be reconstructed. The width of the existing asphalt surface is approximately 7.4m from Devil’s Creek to Mount View Cemetery. The width of the existing sidewalk on the south side of the roadway from Parkwood Drive to Mount View Cemetery is 1.2m. There are currently no sidewalks on either side of the road from Parkwood Drive to the Devil’s Creek Trail. 

The existing 1.2m wide sidewalk on the south side of Blenheim Road from Parkwood Drive to Mount View Cemetery (230m east of Parkwood Drive) will be replaced with a new multi-use trail. The width of the proposed multi-use trail will be 2.4m to 3.0m.

The proposed asphalt roadway width will be reduced to 7.0m from Devil’s Creek to Mount View Cemetery. A new 3.0m wide multi-use trail will be constructed along the south side of Blenheim Road from Parkwood Drive to the Devil’s Creek Trail. Due to steep boulevard grades, new retaining walls are proposed in some locations on both sides of Blenheim Road between the Devil’s Creek Trail and Parkwood Drive.

Construction is expected to take place in 2024 subject to budget approval.

The City of Cambridge upgrades infrastructure each year so that older facilities are replaced prior to a complete failure, or the cost of maintenance becomes too high. 

The existing watermain will be replaced due to age and deterioration. All water service materials will be replaced to the property line. 

Reconstruction of the road and concrete surfaces is necessary due to deterioration and reconstruction of the underground services. 

The City of Cambridge Cycling Master Plan (2020) has identified Blenheim Road as a constrained corridor with a gap in active transportation. The proposed multi-use trail connects to an existing multi-use trail that runs along the east side of Devil’s Creek from the Cambridge West Subdivision and aligns with the goals set out in the City of Cambridge’s Official Plan to have a sustainable, effective, accessible, and energy efficient transportation system.

All water service laterals for single families will be replaced with 25mm diameter polyethylene pipe from the watermain to property line.

Any property owner wishing to have new (additional) or larger sized services must make a written application to the City of Cambridge. Any new or upgrade service will be at the expense of the property owner making the request. If you require a new or upgraded service, please contact Steven Huang of the Community Development Department at 519-623-1340 ext. 4616 so that your requirements can be incorporated as part of the construction.

Please note that the service installed would be to the property line only. Any work on private property would be the responsibility of the property owner who must obtain a permit under the Plumbing Code from the City’s Building Department.

During road reconstruction, it will be necessary to close the road to through traffic. Access to private property may be possible, but it will be at your own risk, as you will be traveling through a construction zone.  For times you do not have access to your property, or if you do not wish to travel through the construction zone, alternate arrangements should be made for parking. Overnight parking will be permitted on intersecting streets within one block of the reconstruction, but you must abide by all other existing parking restrictions (i.e. don’t block a driveway, don’t park too close to a fire hydrant, don’t park where parking is prohibited, etc.). 

To minimize disruption to pedestrians, the construction crew will:

• Maintain the existing sidewalk until its removal is absolutely necessary
• Provide a temporary gravel sidewalk between removal of the old and placement of the new sidewalk

• Whenever possible, provide advanced notice to the property owners and residents whose sidewalk or driveway will be temporarily affected

Sewer and water service will be maintained throughout the duration of construction. However, short interruptions can be expected, particularly when the services to individual properties are transferred from existing mains to the new mains. In the majority of cases, interruptions will be limited to a few hours and will occur during normal working hours. Advance notification will be provided where possible prior to any planned service interruption. 

On some reconstruction projects we find that residents have constructed gardens, shrubs, hedges, and fences within the City road allowance. If existing services are below that particular feature, or there is a grade change, or if the location of a roadway or sidewalk changes, you will be asked to relocate the garden, hedge etc. onto your property prior to construction taking place. 

When constructing the new multi-use trail, it may be necessary to cut back some driveways to match the new grade. If this is the case, the driveway will be saw-cut and a patch will be made using the same material if possible. Impressed or coloured concrete driveways cannot be replaced to match the original, which is also the case with paving stone driveways (unless the owner has a supply of matching stones that the contractor could use). 

If you have a sprinkler system installed along the edge of the roadway or sidewalk within the City’s road allowance, please remove the piping prior to construction. The contractor will not be responsible for damage and the City will not replace it. You may have it reinstalled on private property after construction is completed, if you wish.

It is very important to the City of Cambridge to minimize disruption to the neighbourhood during this reconstruction. Road reconstruction and underground servicing is disruptive and at times will create noise and vibration due to compaction and a potential for dust. To address these disruptions, water and calcium chloride are used for dust control and construction activity is limited to daylight hours, after 7:00 a.m. 

Blue box, green box and refuse collection will be maintained throughout the duration of construction. When access is restricted by construction operations, the construction crew will place the blue boxes and refuse containers at a location accessible by the collection service on collection days. To minimize problems during construction, it would be appreciated if all refuse is bagged, for example put yard waste in paper bags, household garbage in plastic bags.  Please ensure that your address is clearly marked on the containers/ blue boxes.

The City of Cambridge understands that reconstruction will cause inconvenience to the residents and businesses in the area and requests your cooperation, understanding and patience throughout its duration. Comments can be provided to the City a number of ways:

• The City’s online engagement platform (www. EngageCambridge.ca). Please note project plans will be posted online, for a period of two weeks. The comment period will remain open during this two-week period
• A comment sheet is attached to this information package and you can mail or e-mail this comment form to the undersigned

In addition to your comments, we would like to understand any specific needs you may have. For example if you are a person with a disability, or if you require water or sewer service improvements or driveway modifications. This written record will assist the City to address all the issues related to the reconstruction.

If you require information in an accessible format or accommodation to access municipal services, please contact accessibility@cambridge.ca.