Section of Mississauga’s busiest street gets overhaul to prep for new transit route

A large section of Hurontario St. in south Mississauga is going to look somewhat different for the next year or so to drivers and pedestrians as work ramps up on a $1.4-billion light rail transit (LRT) route that will run from the south end of the city north into Brampton.

Officials with Metrolinx, the provincial agency overseeing the 18-kilometre Hazel McCallion LRT line, say a new traffic configuration known as a “traffic flip” will be used between Park St. (just north of Lakeshore Rd.) and Harborn Rd. (just north of the QEW).

The alteration will change the way traffic flows along that section of Hurontario St.

Officials say it’s necessary in order to accommodate construction of new utility infrastructure including watermains, storm and sanitary sewers, as well as hydro and telecommunications.

“This infrastructure needs to be re-routed and upgraded to ensure reliable service to customers in the years ahead,” a Metrolinx spokesperson said in an online project update.

The “traffic flip” is currently in effect along the east side of Hurontario St., but will shift in the coming days to the west side, officials say.

“This configuration will be in place for approximately one year as crews work to bring the LRT line to life,” Metrolinx says. “Once in service, the 18-kilometre Hazel McCallion Line will bring a new, environmentally friendly and reliable method of transportation to Mississauga and Brampton.”

Officials say that during construction, work crews will maintain at least one lane of traffic in each direction along Hurontario St., south of the QEW, as well as turning lanes.

They add that drivers, pedestrians and cyclists should obey all construction signage and remain attentive when navigating the area.

When completed in fall 2024, the new LRT line will feature 19 stops and connect to major transit systems including GO Transit (Milton and Lakeshore West Lines), the Mississauga Transitway, Brampton Transit, ZUM and MiWay.

Major work is ongoing at Port Credit GO station, the starting point of the Hazel McCallion Line. The LRT route will operate in its own dedicated lane to ensure a smooth ride along the region’s busiest street, Metrolinx says.

The massive transit project reached a milestone last week when “guideway construction” along the route began. The guideway, project officials say, is the bed for the rail tracks.

“This marks an important step for the LRT line,” a Metrolinx official said, adding the subsequent laying of tracks will mark yet another pivotal part of construction.

In late June, Metrolinx launched a major public information campaign targeting residents, business owners and others who have questions about the project.

Metrolinx has sent out an “engagement team” and plans on using pop-up events throughout the summer to provide people along the Hurontario St. corridor with as much information as possible.

Starting at Port Credit GO station, the LRT is planned to include 19 stops before arriving in Brampton. However, City of Mississauga officials are aggressively pushing for reinstatement of initial plans to create an “LRT loop” that would more directly and conveniently serve condo residents and office workers in the city’s downtown core around Square One.