Overview

The overall improvement plan for Highway 401 from Essex Road 42 to Victoria Road includes the following:

• Approximately 50 km of full depth pavement reconstruction separated into 3 construction contracts (Project Reference: GWP 3091‑12‑00, GWP 3086‑14‑00, and GWP 3102‑15‑00)
• Installation of High Tension Cable Median Barrier in the median from the western limit of Contract 1 (GWP 3061‑12‑00) to the eastern limit of Contract 3 (GWP 3102‑15‑00)
• Drainage improvements, including rehabilitation or replacement of culverts and sewers, as well as ditching, where required
• Rehabilitation of the Queen Street Overpass eastbound lanes (EBL) and westbound lanes (WBL); Little Baptist Creek Bridge, EBL and WBL; Baptist Creek Bridge, EBL and WBL; McDougall Drain Bridge, EBL and WBL; Government Drain #1 Bridge, WBL; Government Drain #2 Bridge, EBL and WBL; Government Drain Bridge #3, EBL and WBL; Raleigh Plains Drain Bridge, EBL and WBL; Flook and Hinton Drain Bridge, EBL and WBL; Charing Cross Road Underpass (Chatham-Kent Road 10); Proctor Drain Bridge, EBL and WBL; Taff Creek Bridge, EBL; and Kent Bridge Road Underpass
• Rehabilitation of the Malott Div. Drain Culvert (Site 13-398/C), Sinclair Drain Culvert (Site 13-399/C), Deary Drain Culvert (Site 13-400/C), McPhail Drain Culvert (Site 13-404/C), Enos Smith Drain Culvert (Site 13-405/C), Mull Drain Culvert (Site 13-406/C), McKoy Drain Culvert (Site 13-407/C), Alexander (Scafe) Drain Culvert (Site 13-408/C), Campbell-Leatherdale Drain Culvert (Site 13-409/C), Harrison Drain Culvert (Site 13-410/C), Whitman Drain Culvert (Site 13-412/C), Crouch Drain Culvert (Site 13-413/C), Buller Drain Culvert (Site 13-414/C), Buller Drain Culvert (Site 13-415/C), Grant Drain Culvert (Site 13‑416/C), and Cranberry Marsh Drain Culvert (Site 13-419/C)
• Replacement of the existing Gregory (Locke) Drain Culvert (Site 13‑401/C) on the EBL half of Highway 401, and rehabilitation of the culvert on the WBL half of Highway 401
• The development of environmental protection and mitigation, where required
• The development of a construction staging and traffic management plan, including associated ramp closures

Construction of Contract 1 improvements (GWP 3091‑12‑00) that included the westbound lanes from just east of Essex Road 42 interchange to the Merlin Road underpass was completed in the spring of 2016. Contract 2 construction (GWP 3086‑14‑00) including eastbound from just east of Essex Road 42 in the Town of Lakeshore to Drake Road and westbound from Merlin Road to Bloomfield Road in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent is underway.

Construction of Contract 3 improvements (GWP 3102‑15‑00) that includes Highway 401 improvements from Essex Road 42, Essex County, easterly to Victoria Road, Municipality of Chatham-Kent, is expected to begin in 2018, subject to funding and approvals. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction on the Highway 401 westbound side via a median crossover to facilitate the reconstruction of Highway 401 EBL. The eastbound ramps will be closed at the Kent Bridge Road interchange in 2018. A temporary full closure of Charing Cross Road at the Highway 401 underpass will occur from July 1 to September 30, 2018. The eastbound ramps at the Bloomfield Road interchange will be closed in 2019. The westbound on-ramp, and the Highway 401 WBL will be reduced to one lane at the Kent Bridge Road interchange in 2019.

Contract 3 will include the installation of High Tension Median Cable Barrier from just east of Essex Road 42 to Victoria Road.

Contract 1

Contract 1 improvements were completed in 2016.

‌Scope of Work

The project limits of Contract 1 are from just east of Essex Road 42 Interchange to Merlin Road Underpass, WBL only. Contract 1 improvements include the following:

• Reconstruction of Highway 401 Westbound Lanes (WBL) by removing the existing asphalt and concrete base, placing a lift of Granular A and OGDL, and overlaying with concrete pavement
• Temporary overbuilding and shoulder strengthening on Highway 401 to accommodate traffic during construction
• Rehabilitation of five WBL bridges (Sites 6-051/2, 13-187/2, 13-188/2, 13-190/2 and 13-055/2). These rehabilitations consist of concrete patch repairs to the deck surface and to the inside face of barrier walls
• Rehabilitation of Sinclair Drain Culvert (Site 13‑399/C). The work consists of concrete repairs to the entire culvert barrel and waterproofing the WBL portion of the top slab
• Drainage improvements, including replacement of non-structural culverts and sewers
• Guide rail replacement / improvements

Consultation and Documentation

All elements of consultation were undertaken within the context of the Overall Improvement Plan:

• Notice of Study Commencement (July 2014)
• Notice of Public Information Centre (November 2014)
• Public Information Centre (December 11, 2014)
• Notice of Step-Down (January 2015)

Contract 2

Construction demobilization and clean-up operations for Contract 2 will be completed in Spring 2018.

Scope of Work

The project limits for Contract 2 are on Highway 401 eastbound from just east of Essex Road 42 in the Town of Lakeshore to Drake Road and westbound from Merlin Road to Bloomfield Road in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent.

Contract 2 improvements include the following, and will be completed by Spring 2018:

Year 1

• Reconstruction of approximately 12.5 km of the Highway 401 westbound lanes (WBL)
• The rehabilitation of five structures (bridges) including; Government Drain #1 Bridge (WBL), Government Drain #2 Bridge (WBL), Government Drain #3 Bridge (WBL), Raleigh Plains Drain Bridge (WBL), and Flook-Hinton Drain Bridge (WBL)
• Rehabilitation of the Deary Drain (Site 13‑400/C) structural culvert

Year 2

• Reconstruction of approximately 16.8 km of the Highway 401 eastbound lanes (EBL)
• The rehabilitation of Queen Street Overpass Bridge (EBL), Little Baptiste Creek Bridge (EBL), Baptiste Creek Bridge (EBL), McDougall Drain Bridge (EBL), Government Drain #1 Bridge (EBL)
• Rehabilitation of the structural culverts at the Malott Diversion Drain (Site 13-398/C), Sinclair Drain (Site 13‑399/C) and Deary Drain (Site 13-400/C)

In addition, the following will be undertaken:

• Shoulder strengthening on Highway 401 to accommodate traffic during construction (one-lane in each direction will be maintained via median crossovers)
• Drainage improvements, including replacement of non-structural culverts and sewers
• Guide rail replacement/improvements

Contract 3

Expected to begin in 2018, subject to funding and approvals, and will include three construction seasons (i.e., April to October 2018, 2019, and 2020).

‌‌‌Scope of Work

The project limits for Contract 3 are on Highway 401 from Essex Road 42, County of Essex, easterly to Victoria Road, Municipality of Chatham-Kent.

The proposed work includes the following scope of work over three construction seasons:

Year 1

• Reconstruction of approximately 11.6 km of the Highway 401 eastbound lanes (EBL) from 2.0 km west of Mull Road to 1.4 km west of Victoria Road
• Rehabilitation of the Charing Cross Road (County Road 10) Underpass, Taff Creek Bridge (EBL), and Kent Bridge Road Underpass
• Rehabilitation of ten (10) structural culverts
• Upgrading partial illumination at the Kent Bridge Road interchange, and upgrading to LED lighting at the Victoria Road interchange
• Commence installation of 51.49 km of High Tension Cable Median Barrier (HTCMB) from 0.9 km east of Essex Road 42, easterly to Victoria Road

Year 2

• Reconstruction of approximately 13.0 km of the Highway 401 EBL from 0.13 km east of Drake Road to 1.4 km east of Charing Cross Road
• Rehabilitation of the Government Drain #2 Bridge (EBL), Government Drain #3 Bridge (EBL), Raleigh Plains Drain Bridge (EBL), Flook and Hinton Drain Bridge (EBL), Proctor Drain Bridge (EBL and westbound lanes (WBL)), and Kent Bridge Road Underpass
• Rehabilitation of three (3) structural culverts
• Replacement of the existing Gregory (Locke) Drain structural culvert on the EBL side of Highway 401, and rehabilitation of the culvert on the WBL side of Highway 401
• Upgrading partial illumination at the Bloomfield Road interchange

Year 3

• Complete HTCMB system installation
• Construction demobilization and clean-up operations

In addition, the following will be undertaken throughout the duration of the project:

• Shoulder strengthening on Highway 401 to accommodate traffic during construction (one-lane in each direction will be maintained via median crossovers)
• Drainage improvements, including replacement of non-structural culverts and sewers
• Guide rail replacement/improvements
• Ramp resurfacing at Kent Bridge Road interchange, Bloomfield Road interchange, and Victoria Road interchange

Construction Staging and Traffic Management

Temporary traffic impacts will occur in order to construct the improvements while maintaining traffic on Highway 401. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction on the Highway 401 westbound side via a median crossover to facilitate the reconstruction of Highway 401 EBL. All lanes will be open during winter shutdown.

The eastbound ramps will be closed at the Highway 401/Kent Bridge Road interchange during Year 1, and temporary signals will be used to direct traffic on the Kent Bridge Road underpass. One full night time closure and four night time rolling closures are also required to complete improvements at Kent Bridge Road during Year 1. A temporary full closure of Charing Cross Road at the Highway 401 underpass will occur for a period of three months, from July to October, during Year 1 to facilitate the underpass improvements.

The eastbound ramps at the Bloomfield Road interchange will be closed during Year 2. The westbound on-ramp will be closed for up to two months, and the Highway 401 WBL will be reduced to one lane at the Highway 401/Kent Bridge Road interchange during Year 2 to facilitate work on the underside of the underpass.

Access for emergency services will be maintained at the closed ramps at all times during both years of construction via temporary granular ramps and by the contractor through the construction zone. Existing median emergency vehicle turn-arounds within the construction zone will not be available during construction; however, they will be reinstated at the end of each construction season. Advance notice of the closures will be distributed to local municipalities and emergency service providers.

Motorists and commercial haulers traveling through the study area may experience temporary delay or disruption during construction. Advanced signing of construction on Highway 401 will be provided.