Opinion – You think traffic in Burlington is bad now? Wait until the Wyecroft bridge opens.

One of the more interesting items discussed during Burlington’s recent traffic forum was the Wyecroft Road bridge. This bridge will connect Oakville’s Wyecroft Road and Burlington’s Harvester Road by spanning Bronte Creek.

Some Burlington residents are advocating for traffic light changes to slow traffic coming off the QEW. During the discussion, Councillor Sharman said something like, “You think traffic in Burlington is bad now? Wait until the Wyecroft bridge opens.”

https://www.halton.ca/for-residents/roads-construction/construction-projects/wyecroft-road-extension-and-bridge-project

Running parallel to the QEW, the bridge will provide a new east-west route.

Once the bridge is open, Burlington’s efforts to obstruct QEW exits will be easy to bypass. Commuters from Burlington or points west, driving home from Toronto, will have the option of exiting the QEW in Oakville and using Wyecroft Road to cross into Burlington territory. In Councillor Sharman’s estimation, Burlington will fill up with traffic.

A Brief History of the Wyecroft Road Bridge

• The need for an east-west connection over Bronte Creek was first identified and approved through an Environmental Assessment (EA) in the 1990s.
• In 2006, the project underwent an EA update to align with modern environmental standards and the growing population of Oakville and Burlington.
• Estimated to cost $50 million, the project stalled.
• 2018 – Halton Regional Council approved the bridge project as the primary candidate to receive $53.1 million in funding from the provincial Move Ontario Quick Wins Fund.

During the 2018 meeting, our Ward 5 councillor requested that the following information be included in the process going forward:

• Data on cut-through traffic in the City of Burlington and possible mitigation efforts therein
  • Information on linking transit to the Plains Road/Fairview Street corridor to Hamilton

TTS Reports

• The bridge is expected to open in November (2026).

Our Ward 5 councillor and mayor were both regional councillors in 2018.

What has Burlington done to prepare for the bridge opening?

Nothing? Oh, wait – bike lanes have been added to a section of Plains Rd.

What could Burlington have done to prepare for the bridge opening?

We know that starting in November, shortly after we’ve voted and all the election signs have been put away, Harvester will be packed with cars moving east to west during the evening rush hour. Harvester is an employment area with many businesses located nearby. These businesses can’t operate without employees, and those employees, no matter where they live, need to be able to get to and from work.

Left turns at Harvester and Appleby, Walkers, Guelph and Brant (Queensway) are already a challenge. They are all single-lane left turns. Should the intersections have been widened before the bridge opening? The city’s budget allocates $2 million “to improve traffic movement during peak periods” at the Harvester and Guelph Line intersection, with construction scheduled for 2028.

Should Burlington widen Harvester Rd? The land is there. Oh wait, we have the Integrated Mobility Plan, much like the 10 commandments, this plan was adopted by council in 2023 and appears to be chiselled in stone. The plan states that no road widening will be undertaken to accommodate increased traffic volume.

Harvester connects to Plains Road via the Queensway Drive. This corridor is largely through an industrial area and could serve as a 6-lane road running parallel to the QEW / 403. A forward-looking council might conclude this would take traffic off Lakeshore, Mainway, Fairview, etc., and, unlike bike lanes, actually help with Burlington’s traffic problems. The province funded the Wyecroft Bridge. Should the council make the case to the province to fund widening Harvester Rd, Queensway Drive, and Plains Road?

Oh well. The good news is that our councillors can stop blaming the province for our traffic problems and can start blaming the region. This tactic might not be as effective because our councillors are also regional councillors. Maybe Burlington’s council is responsible for Burlington’s traffic problems after all.