Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) presented 18 Project of the Year awards at a ceremony in Mississauga, recognizing the Ministry of Transportation’s Hwy. 17B Duchesnay Bridge project as the winner in the $10 to $50 million category. The North Bay area bridge was the first major project undertaken by Nipissing Miller construction company.
The Region of Durham’s Works Department was recognized for the Victoria Street road widening and reconstruction project.
Construction took over three years to complete and involved widening Victoria Street from two to four lanes in a protected highly sensitive wetland that is home to a number of Species at Risk (SAR), rare plants, marsh birds, muskrats, reptiles and amphibians, so protecting the area’s natural environment was a high priority for this project. In close partnership with the Central Lakes Ontario Conservation Authority (CLOCA), the project was completed without significantly disturbing the surrounding ecosystem.
In addition to the road widening, work included two new bridge structures crossing the Lynde Creek and a Lynde Creek tributary, two wildlife crossing culverts, a new multi-use path which served as a vital connection for the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, a new retaining soil system wall adjacent to the wetland, a wildlife lookout and new storm sewers.
Durham Region also built an entire new wetland on Halls Road (expansion of the Lynde Shores Conservation Area) to mitigate the portion of wetland that was lost to the road widening work.
The Town of Pelham was recognized in the Small Municipalities category for the Sulphur Springs Road Rehabilitation Design/Build Project, in association with Duffin Contracting
Approximately two kilometres of the roadway was closed in February 2016 after progressive erosion and significant weather events caused a complete roadway failure. The rehab project, completed using the design/build project delivery model by Fonthill-based Duffin Contracting, included the reinstatement of the roadway using environmentally sustainable products with a focus on the health and sensitivity of the environment and the adjacent 12 Mile Creek.
The following projects were also recognized with awards:
- Richmond Hill – Major Mackenzie Drive West Watermain
- Lennox Park Revitalization and Pedestrian Bridge
- Ottawa – Combined Sewage Storage Tunnel
- Guelph – Locomotive 6167 Relocation
- Peel Region – Bovaird Infiltration Facility
- Wellington County – Badley Bridge Replacement
- Halton Region – Burloak Water Treatment Plant Membrane Replacement and Upgrade Project
- York Region – YDSS Forcemain Twinning Project
- Clarington – Bowmanville Valley Trail Extension
- Guelph – Niska Road and Bridge Reconstruction
- Vaughan – Clark Avenue Active Transportation Facility (multimodal transportation, operational and road safety improvements)
- York Region – Yonge Street Bus Rapid Transit Project
- Shoal Lake #40 First Nation – Water Treatment Plant
- Town of Pelham – Sulphur Springs Road Rehabilitation Design/Build