Road work will make Moore Ave. one to avoid

Residents of Bennington Heights and Moore Park can expect some bumps in the road this summer as an aging stretch of Moore Avenue undergoes a major makeover.

“Basically, the entire roadway is going to be taken away and put in a dumpster and a new road is going to be put in its place,” said Ward 26 councillor John Parker.

The work is expected to begin mid-June and last until end of August.

Once construction begins, motorists will have no access between Welland and Bayview Avenues. Parker said there will be alternatives for access to that neighbourhood. At certain points of the construction, residents who live along Moore Avenue will not be able to park in their driveways, he said.

Also for the duration of construction, the 88 South Leaside bus, which runs along Moore Avenue for part of its route, will be rerouted up to Davisville Avenue.

The road is being redesigned to slow drivers down.

Its current wide, two-lane, no-curb design makes traffic travel at faster speed, Parker said.

“Drivers, without even meaning to, find a natural speed that’s well in excess of the speed limit,” he said.

The new look will include narrower lanes, bicycle lanes, and a medium in the middle filled with trees and gardens.

“One of the goals of the redesign is to come up with a road configuration that delivers the subliminal message to drivers that a lower speed is appropriate through this area,” he said.

Once the reconstruction of the road is finished, non-emergency roadwork will not be allowed on the avenue for a period of five years.