Don Mills Trail Update
Update - August 18, 2014
As I mentioned in my June eNewsletter, the contract for construction of the northern portion of the Don Mills Trail was awarded this Spring and work has started!
Construction of the northern Don Mills Trail will be done as part of a larger two-year rehabilitation project on the York Mills Road bridge, just east of Scarlet Road. As part of the rehabilitation project, crews will be repairing the bridge deck and installing new asphalt as well as replacing lighting, walls and sidewalks. Construction has just started and is expected to be completed by fall 2015.
Construction of the trail will be completed within six weeks before 2015. The northern part of the trail will run south from York Mills Road through Bond Park to Bond Avenue.
Please note that during construction, the trail will remain closed to the public at Bond Avenue. There will also be lane restrictions during construction. For more details, please see the construction notice below.
Update - May 30, 2014
The northern extension of the Don Mills Trail will soon be underway!
The construction tender closed earlier this month and the work will be completed this year.
Unfortunately, despite years of good faith discussions, a completed environmental assessment and a general agreement, the southern extension has been delayed because the local property owner pulled out of negotiations with the city.
This means that we will need to fi nd an alternate route for the much needed southern extension.
Currently, I am pulling together an emergency meeting of senior city staff and stakeholders to identify a new route and get the southern extension back on track.
October 3, 2013
I am pleased to report city staff advised me the northern extension of the Don Mills Trails project is out to tender and construction should begin soon.
In 2012, I intervened to break a long-standing delay and negotiated an easement for the city over the Metrus property, making the southern extension possible.
Before the easement can be granted, the province is now requiring the city to carry out an Environmental Assessment (EA) of the land in question. It is an unfortunate delay, but one that is beyond the city’s control – it is mandated by the province.
I am pleased to report the first phase of the environmental assessment for the southern extension of the Don Mills Trail is complete.
The second phase, which began this spring, is nearly complete and city staff expects the assessment to be completed this fall.
The city has already completed its portion of the EA and the province is evaluating the city’s work. If the province concludes that the site is in good condition, work on the southern extension can begin as early as fall 2013.