Metrolinx and York Region contractors continue the project to build a rapidway — bus-only lanes in the centre of the roadway — along Yonge Street in Newmarket and Richmond Hill.

Regrettably, trees are often casualties of many transportation construction projects — and this project is no excpetion. Before crews can start work to widen the roadway and move utilities further back from the centre of the road, they must remove trees within the right of way. (They already removed some trees in March.)

Starting Wednesday, August 19, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. each day, crews will be working in Richmond Hill on Yonge Street between 19th Avenue / Gamble Road and Levendale Drive and between Major Mackenzie Drive and Highway 7.

VivaNext says the goal is to preserve as many trees as possible. A certified arborist has inspected the trees that crews are removing. Once contractors have finished building the rapidway, they’ll plant the same number of trees as they’ve removed on the boulevards and in the medians.

During this work, crews will:

• briefly block traffic lanes as they remove trees on the east and west sides of the street;
• temporarily block sidewalks to make sure pedestrians are safe, as the crews remove the trees;
• temporarily block access to bus stops;
• install signs to direct pedestrians safely around the work zone or direct passengers to the nearest available bus stop or a temporary stop, if necessary;
• cut smaller trees and chip them on-site;
• load larger trees into bins and chip them off-site to avoid disrupting residents;
• clean up all work areas before they move on to the next location; and
• use the wood chips and mulch from the trees for landscaping.

Expect noise and dust from this work.

Removing trees continues until September 4.

During rapidway construction on Yonge Street in Richmond Hill, expect delays for GO Transit buses operating along this route:

• 61 Richmond Hill / Toronto.

Also expect delays for York Region Transit buses operating along these routes:

• Viva blue;
• Viva blue “A”;
• 15 Stouffville;
• 22A King City;
• 25 Major Mackenzie;
• 81 Inspiration;
• 83 / 83A Trench;
• 84 Oak Ridges;
• 86 Newkirk / Red Maple;
• 98 Yonge;
• 99 Yonge; and
• 589 / 590 Richmond Hill community bus.

Source:

• vivaNext