Year-long closure of major Burlington/Oakville route pushed off until 2025

The overhaul of Burloak Drive won’t take place until next year, according to new information from Metrolinx.

In a recent missive to a Burlington city council, Metrolinx, the Ontario agency responsible for integrating transit systems in Southern Ontario, made clear its intention to close Burloak for 14 months and that construction will start in 2025. It was previously announced that work would begin later this year.

“Please be reminded that the 14-month closure will not take place in 2024,” Metrolinx wrote in response to inquiries made by Burlington Ward 5 Councillor Paul Sharman.

Sharman had reached out to the provincial agency over traffic concerns caused by the recent 10-day closure of Burloak which was part of the preliminary work before the major overhaul.

In his recent newsletter, Sharman pointed out that when the stretch of Burloak was closed, “traffic was intense on Appleby Line, Lakeshore Road, Harvester Road and Bronte Road.”

Sharman said there has been no indication that a detour around the construction zone will be in place when Burloak closes for 14 months.

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“They (Metrolinx) have been humming and hawing on the subject for at least the last year. I am not expecting there to be a temporary detour, but I will be happy to be proved wrong,” he wrote in the newsletter.

He added that Metrolinx has indicated setting up detours would cost Burlington and Oakville an extra $10 million each and would lengthen the construction time by an additional year.

The remaking of Burloak is intended to improve the traffic flow for Burlington and Oakville drivers once it’s finished. The plan is to remove the ground-level train crossing and create an underpass for vehicles while trains pass overhead via a new bridge.

The project will also allow the expansion of Burloak to six lanes and create improvements to nearby routes such as Wyecroft Road, Harvester Road, Superior Court and Prince William Drive. The addition of turn lanes, sidewalks, bike lanes and improved connectivity for active modes of travel will also be included in this project.

Upgrades to the pedestrian bridge on Drury Lane are also planned.

Metrolinx says the project will provide the opportunity to electrify the train lines, allowing for more frequent train service.

The $177 million project is being led by Metrolinx, with Oakville and Burlington each supplying $16 million.