Keats Way construction begins Monday September 18

Construction on the Keats Way storm bypass is scheduled to begin on Monday September 18. Steed & Evans will be mobilizing materials and equipment to site and setting up barricades to delineate the construction zone.

Limits of Work and Phasing

The project involves installing a new bypass storm sewer from the Clair Creek culvert (just east of McDougall) to Keats/Karen Walk. The first phase of the project involves closing Keats Way from just east of the Clair Creek culvert to the east side of the intersection of Keats Way and Keats/Karen Walk. The intersection of Keats Way and Keats/Karen Walk will remain open for the first phase of the project. Once the installation of the sewer approaches the intersection, it will be fully closed to vehicle traffic.

Local Access

Sidewalks on both sides of Keats Way are to remain open during construction, with one exception towards the end of the project. The sidewalk on the north side of Keats Way will be blocked towards the end of the project for the installation of the bypass sewer. When this occurs, pedestrians will be advised to use the sidewalk on the south side.

Although the roadway will be closed, local vehicle traffic to the cul-de-sacs of Keats Walk and Keats Way Place will be maintained. The bypass storm sewer is to be installed under the eastbound lane of traffic. For the majority of the project, access is anticipated to be maintained via the westbound lane of traffic on Keats Way. However, there will be times where the means of local access for vehicles changes due to the complete closure of the road and alternate routes are required. Please be prepared to follow local directions.

Pedestrian and School Bus Access to Keatsway Public School

Sidewalks on Keats Way are to be kept open during construction, with one exception. A small section of the north side sidewalk will be closed towards the end of construction. Children walking to school can continue to use the sidewalks on Keats Way.

Click image for larger map

The school crossing guard at the pedestrian refuge island near Keats Way Place will be temporarily relocated to Keats Way and Keats/Karen Walk for the first phase of construction, when the intersection of Keats Way and Karen Walk is open. Once the intersection is fully closed, the crossing guard will be temporarily relocated to Keats Way and McDougall. Once construction is complete, the guard will return to a rebuilt pedestrian refuge island near Keats Way Place.

The pickup and drop-off location for school buses will be relocated to Karen Walk, adjacent the school staff parking lot south of Keats Way and north of the parking lot entrance. This will continue as long as the intersection of Keats Way and Karen Walk remains open as buses will be able to exit westbound onto Keats Way. Towards the end of construction, when the intersection is closed to traffic, the pickup/drop-off location will move to Karen Walk south of the entrance to the school parking lot. This will allow school buses to exit via Helene Crescent.

Parents who pickup and drop-off children at the start and end of the school day are advised to park further south on Karen Walk or further away on Helene Crescent in order to ensure there is space for school bus parking and to be able to turn at the intersection of Karen Walk and Helene Crescent.

Grand River Transit Re-routing

GRT Route 29 Keats-University will be diverted for the duration of construction. GRT has indicated that the bus will be re-routed via Amos-Erb-University. Please check for detours on Grand River Transit’s detours webpage:

https://www.grt.ca/en/schedules-maps/detours.aspx

Waste Removal on Cul-de-sacs

Residents of Keats Walk and Keats Way Place are advised that they are to put their waste out weekly, as normal. The contractor will work with the waste pickup services to get access to the cul-de-sacs on waste day. If the cul-de-sac cannot be accessed by the vehicle, the contractor is responsible for ensuring that all bags and bins are moved to an accessible location for pickup. The contractor will return the bins to the roadside in front of your house at the end of the day, please put your address on bins.

Parcel and Medical Supply Delivery Service

Parcel delivery may be affected during construction. Frequently, parcel delivery can be maintained during construction, however the decision to make a delivery is typically up to the individual delivery driver. The City does not have any influence as to whether a driver deems it safe to make a delivery. It’s advised that residents minimize the use of delivery service during construction to avoid the potential for parcels to be held up.

Residents who receive deliveries of essential medical supplies should contact the City’s project manager to discuss. If the contractor is aware of the timing of such deliveries they can frequently assist in making the delivery, if needed.

Telecommunication Services

The Keats Way storm bypass project won’t involve many crossings of telecommunication (i.e. Bell, Rogers) lines, however there will be some crossings. It is possible that this work could cut a telecom cable, especially if it’s not well located.

In the event that telecom services are cut off, please inform one of the workers on-site followed by your telecom provider. The contractor will contact the telecom and coordinate the repair, however previous experience has shown that telecoms will expedite the repair if individual customers complain directly.

Residents who work from home or otherwise rely on telecom services such as cable and internet during the day are advised to have a contingency plan in place in the event that a telecom cable is severed. An example of a contingency for those who require internet to work from home would be to tether your work station to a WiFi hotspot created using a cell phone in the short term, and moving your work station to another home or location with public WiFi to minimize the possibility of data overage charges. It is advised that employers are informed of the upcoming construction in advance.