By Mike Pearson

News Staff

Traveling through Ancaster’s busiest thoroughfare is about to get more complicated as the city prepares for a $4 million reconstruction of Wilson Street.

Ancaster Councillor Lloyd Ferguson said the project is slated to begin on Feb. 13. During the early stages of construction, traffic will be reduced to one lane on Wilson from Halson Street to Fiddlers Green Road. A flag crew will direct traffic between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. on weekdays with full access during the evening.

“It’s going to be terribly inconvenient, but we have to suck it up until it gets done,” said Ferguson. The councillor has repeatedly stressed the need to repair the aging stretch of roadway in advance of July’s Canadian Open golf tournament.

On March 5, Wilson Street will be closed with local access only. Residents will receive five tags per household to place on the dashboard of vehicles. The tags act as a pass for homeowners and their visitors during the construction period. Businesses will be asked to encourage customers and staff to use the closest side street.

All affected businesses and residents between Fiddlers Green and Halson will receive a notice from the city detailing the scope of work with contact numbers for project managers. Contractor New Alliance Ltd. will have a blog on their webpage at www.newalliance.ca advising drivers of daily restrictions.

The Wilson Street construction includes full road resurfacing, curbs, sidewalks and left-turn lanes, where appropriate.

Wilson Street closure: What you need to know

-HSR buses will be re-routed along Sulphur Springs Road, Lovers Lane and Jerseyville Road. during the construction period. A traffic island at Jerseyville Road and Lovers Lane may be temporarily removed to accommodate turns.

-School bus route changes will be determined by the public and separate school boards.

-Police may be posted at Fiddlers Green and Halson when the closure begins and signs will be installed at either end of the construction area to guide motorists through the detour.

-Garbage collection will continue as usual during the road closure. Garbage may be collected by New Alliance and brought to a central location for pick up. Containers will be returned to the home or business.

-Traffic signals at Sulphur Springs Road, Halson Street and Fiddlers Green Road will be adjusted to accommodate the additional flow of detoured traffic during the road closure.

-Traffic will continue to access the Ancaster Farmers Market at St. John’s Anglican Church on Halson Street on Wednesdays starting in May, from 3-7 p.m.