Highbury Widening Class EA

 

The City of St. Thomas Transportation Master Plan Update (TMP), completed in 2021, identified the need to widen Highbury Avenue from Edgeware Road to Ron McNeil Line, and South Edgeware Road, From Burwell Road to Highbury Avenue, in order to accommodate additional traffic from residential and industrial growth in St. Thomas.  In reviewing the improvements to these corridors set out in the TMP and the overall transportation network, an opportunity to improve connectivity between the subject corridors and St. Thomas Expressway (ON Highway 3), was identified.

In response, the City has initiated a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) for improvements to Highbury Avenue from Edgeware Road to Ron McNeil Line, and South Edgeware Road, from Burwell Road to Highbury Avenue.  The study will also consider options to improve connectivity with St. Thomas Expressway to the study corridors as shown in the map below.

Study area

The Process

The Class EA will consider options to address the multi-modal traffic needs (vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists) as well as municipal servicing improvements (watermains, sanitary sewer and drainage) of the corridor in consideration of ongoing and planned development.  This study is being carried out as a Schedule 'C' project under the Municipal Engineers Association Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (October 2000, as amended), which is planning process approved under Ontario's Environmental Assessment Act.

For improvements to Highbury Avenue and South Edgeware Road, Phase 1 and 2 of the EA planning process were addressed through the City of St. Thomas TMP update.  The portion of the study considering options to improve connectivity with St. Thomas Expressway will address Phases 1 to 4 of the Municipal Class EA process.

In identifying the recommended improvements, the study will consider technical and aesthetic requirements as well as socio-economic, cultural heritage, and natural environment factors.  Upon completion of the study, an Environmental Study Report (ESR) will be prepared to document the Municipal Class EA planning and decision-making process and made available for a 30-day public review period.  In addition, the ESR will satisfy the requirements of the MTO Class EA for Provincial Transportation Facilities for a Group 'B' project.  A Notice of Completion will be issued at that stage.

Get Involved

Public Input is an important part of the Class EA process.  As such, the City invites you to learn more about the study, including the need and justification, key constraints and considerations, as well as recommendations developed for the study area as part of the TMP, by reviewing the information package below:

An additional Public Information (PIC) to present the recommended design will be held later in the study and announced via a subsequent notice posted to the project webpage.
Contacts
To provide comments, questions, or concerns on the materials, or request a hard copy of the online material, contact the below by April 6, 2023,

Nathan Bokma, P.Eng.            Henry Huotari, P. Eng.
 Manager of Development and Compliance   Associate, Senior Project Manager
Environmental Services Department    R.V. Anderson Associates
City of St. Thomas   Tel:  519-681-9916 ext. 5027
Tel:  519-631-1680 ext. 4151   [email protected]
 [email protected]    557 Southdale Road East, Suite 200
 545 Talbot Street, PO Box 520   London, ON  N6E 1A2
St. Thomas, ON  N5P 3V7