Anyone in Cambridge who uses Roseville Road as a no-hassle shortcut to get to the southwest side of Kitchener will have to find another route over Highway 401 starting next month.
A contractor hired by the Ministry of Transportation will begin dismantling the bridge over the highway soon, forcing the road's closure at Whistle Bare Road from Sept. 2 through November of next year.
The Region of Waterloo is coordinating the road closure and began notifying the public last week.
Green Infrastructure Partners (GIP) began work on the project this month and is planning to demolish the existing bridge before the end of 2024.
The $17-million project includes improvements to the existing drainage systems and the installation of a new bridge.
Once built, it will accommodate the future widening of Highway 401, said the MTO, which has been replacing overpasses and underpasses through the Cambridge corridor for more than a decade.
The MTO says it will provide advance notice to stakeholders and the travelling public of the exact demolition date once it has been confirmed.
Travellers can visit the MTO construction website or follow @511Ontario on X for updates on work and traffic impacts.
Cambridge to Kitchener commuters who regularly use Roseville Road can jog down to Cedar Creek Road (Highway 97) to Northumberland Street.
Another alternative is the busier route of Dickie Settlement Road to Fountain Street South, but construction plans and the opening of the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in 2025 could impact that route before the bridge is complete.
Amazon is expected to add up to 400 vehicle trips per day through the roundabout at Fountain and Dickie Settlement, which is also shared with the Cambridge campus of Conestoga College.
Also in the works for Roseville Road are plans to add a roundabout at Edworthy Sideroad next year.
According to the Engage Waterloo Region page for the roundabout, construction is scheduled to start in May 2025 with completion expected by the fall.
The region began expropriating property for the roundabout in the spring.
Last summer the region initiated plans to build a roundabout at Roseville and Dickie Settlement roads following council approval.
That project is still in its detailed design phase and won't conflict with next year's work along the stretch.
