The Highway 34 and County Road 17 interchange in south Hawkesbury will be revised—but the province is putting the brakes on controversial earlier proposals following local opposition.
The project relates to the need to reconstruct the aging bridges on County Road 17, where the highway crosses Hawkesbury Creek, the CN railway tracks, and the adjacent interchange with Highway 34. Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) announced that plan in 2019.
Originally, the MTO proposed a plan that would introduce a stop sign for some traffic entering County Road 17, rather than the existing configuration where vehicles can enter the road without stopping.
At that time, then-Hawkesbury Mayor Paula Assaly and Champlain Township Mayor Normand Riopel both objected to changing the design. Current Hawkesbury Mayor Robert Lefebvre also opposed that plan.
Two options remain. The first, dubbed “Alternative 3,” would reduce the bridge from four lanes to three—eliminating one of the two existing merge lanes. Current traffic capacity would be maintained, but a new, non-standard interchange configuration at Highway 34 would be introduced.
“The off-ramp is a bit tighter, but it still meets all Transportation Association of Canada standards,” explained Dan Brando, Senior Project Engineer for the Ministry of Transportation.
The last remaining option, “Alternative 4,” would look much like the current setup: free-flowing traffic for all ramps would be maintained, as would the existing four-lane traffic flow over the bridge.
Two earlier options have been eliminated from consideration following objections from local officials. Those alternatives would have required private property to be taken, or would have impeded the current free-flowing traffic through the interchange.
The MTO presented its latest plans on May 16 at a Public Information Centre at the Hawkesbury Legion. Representatives from consulting firms Dillon and Jacobs were also in attendance.
Glengarry-Prescott-Russell Member of Provincial Parliament Stéphane Sarrazin spoke with project officials and reiterated his support for the current configuration:
“We’ve been talking about this project for many years,” Sarrazin said. “Even when I was Warden of the County, in 2021, we had discussions with Minister Mulroney, who was then Minister of Transportation.
“We said it was really important to get it back to the original configuration. We’ve seen it’s still a really busy intersection… If I get to choose, I want to keep the present configuration. It’s the best way to go.”
Large trucks from nearby businesses must be able to navigate the interchange, Sarrazin noted, saying that other alternatives could make that more difficult.
Sarrazin said he would continue advocating for the current configuration with ministry officials and the Minster of Transportation.
Following the May 16 Public Information Centre, the Project Team will review feedback received, along with other criteria, to select the preferred option. A second Public Information Centre is planned for Fall 2024.
Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027 pending permits and approvals. Work is expected to be complete in 2029.
Further information can be found on the project website: cr17bridges.com. Public comments can also be submitted via the website.
Photos: Stephen Yantzi
