Road closures and traffic delays, week ending Oct 31, 2020

The following is a selection of the most significant road closures and expected traffic delays in and around the city of Kingston for the week ending October 30, 2020. Full lists of closures and delays provided by the City of Kingston and the MTO can be viewed here and here.

John Counter Boulevard from Sir John A. Macdonald to Princess and Portsmouth Avenue from Old Quarry to John Counter will be closed through Nov. 13, 2020. Local traffic will have access and businesses remain open, including the VIA Rail station. Please follow these detour routes:

• Heading east? Travel southeast at Princess Street & Taylor Kidd Boulevard / John Counter Boulevard intersection and turn north (left) on Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard.
• Heading west? Travel south at Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard & John Counter Boulevard intersection and turn right (northwest) on Princess Street.

Quiet Streets Road Closures: These closures to through traffic have been implemented as part of the Kingston Coalition for Active Transportation’s pilot Quiet Streets Program, which runs until mid-November (local traffic is permitted):

• Mack Street – Alamein to  Albert
• Albert Street – Brock to Earl
• Earl Street – Frontenac to Clergy
• Clergy Street – Earl to Ordnance

Expect minor delays and a possible lane closure on Glengarry from Portsmouth to Indian as a contractor, on behalf of Utilities Kingston, installs a new sanitary sewer and upgrades water mains.

Delays on Grenadier Drive at Windfield Crescent will occur while construction takes place around the Kingston East Community Centre site. Flag-people will be on-site to direct traffic.

Expect delays on Highway 33 from 240m east of Collins Creek Bridge to 185m west of Coronation Boulevard due to construction to improve drainage. Construction barrels and flag-people will direct traffic around the work zone.

Local traffic disruptions and minor detours will occur in the Kingscourt area as a contractor prepares to line sewer mains, on behalf of Utilities Kingston. The lining of the sewers will then extend into the fall. Roadways will be open to traffic. The City asks drivers to please follow signage and yield to oncoming traffic as required.

Expect intermittent lane closures on Johnson Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 27 as a contractor on behalf of Utilities Kingston flushes and inspects storm sewers.

On Ontario Street, from Queen to La Salle Causeway, northbound traffic will shift to an existing southbound lane until late 2020 to accommodate repairs to the Fort Frontenac Wall. See details of the traffic control plan.

Another Ontario Street section, from William to Gore, will see delays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 26 to 28, as a contractor, on behalf of Utilities Kingston, completes sanitary sewer upgrades.

Palace Road will see intermittent lane closures from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 26 as a contractor on behalf of Utilities Kingston flushes and inspects storm sewers.

Delays and a possible lane closure can be expected along Portsmouth Ave. from Glengarry to Princess and Glengarry to Indian until Nov. 20 as a contractor, working on behalf of Utilities Kingston, installs a new sanitary sewer and upgrades water mains.

Sir John A. Macdonald Boulevard, from Terry Fox to John Counter will experience delays until Nov. 6 as crews construct a new entrance to City Place.

The sidewalk on the south side of Grenadier Drive at Windfield Crescent may be restricted weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. A flagman will be on-site to direct traffic and assist pedestrians.

The west sidewalk on Kingscourt Avenue from First Ave to Third Ave will be closed to pedestrian traffic until further notice to allow the developer to access building lots and complete connections to municipal infrastructure. Please use the east sidewalk and follow posted pedestrian detours.

Love Kingston Marketplace

As part of the Love Kingston Marketplace project, some vehicle travel lanes and parking spaces downtown have been repurposed to create additional physical-distancing space for pedestrians and for businesses:

Clarence Street has on-street parking repurposed to accommodate a lane shift. 

Market Street is closed to vehicles. On-street parking unavailable.

Lower Brewers Swing Bridge users:

Vehicles such as larger emergency vehicles and school buses are no longer permitted to cross this bridge. Parks Canada advises it has decreased the load capacity of this bridge from 10 tons to 3 tons. Built in 1984 to meet code for 10 ton capacity, it does not meet today’s guidelines and structural deterioration due to its age of has further decreased its load capacity. Design work for the Lower Brewers Swing Bridge is underway and it has been designated for replacement in 2021.

Wolfe Island Ferry Docks’ changes

The Ministry of Transportation is making improvements to the Kingston and Marysville Wolfe Island ferry docks. Visit the projects website to learn more and for up-to-date information on construction progress.