Orillia city councillor pushing province on Highway 12 bypass

By NATHAN TAYLOR ORILLIA PACKET & TIMES January 22 2011
ORILLIA — The timing is right to pressure the province to upgrade the Highway 12 bypass, an Orillia city councillor says.
Coun. Don Jenkins got the support of council this week to direct the mayor to lobby the provincial government for the improvements, which would ideally include widening the bypass — between Memorial Avenue and Mississaga Street West — and the Highway 11 bridge to four lanes.
“They know they’re going to have to do it sometime,” Jenkins said of the province. “Do it.”
The traffic back-ups make the route “dangerous and unacceptable” for emergency vehicles, he said in a report to council.
For ambulances based at the Huronia Regional Centre (HRC) site, “there’s no easy way” for them to get to Highway 11 North.
Fire trucks often end up in a similar situation on that stretch, he added.
With a new Ontario Provincial Police Central Region headquarters being built, with frontage on Highway 12, the problems need to be addressed, he said.
Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop agrees. Road upgrades will be required when the facility is built, and Dunlop suggested the project include some of the Highway 12 improvements at the same time.
The red flags started when the city provided land for Lakehead University to build a new campus.
“I just suspected there could be problems with traffic and with people walking across the highway,” he said, referring to that area as “the most direct route to the university and the twin pad.”
He acknowledged such major projects take time, “but there’s a clear need for it.”
On the campaign trail, Jenkins promised he would push for the upgrade to four lanes.
“We’ve got a wonderful transportation system — the traffic flow — with that exception. That’s the only serious kink in the armour.”
Ministry spokesperson Bob Nichols said the province is early in the process of hiring a consultant to assist in a planning study of Highway 12, east of Highway 11, through Orillia.
“The study will look at the need for widening Highway 12, and will examine the Highway 11/12 (Old Barrie Road) interchange to determine what improvements are needed.”
No timelines were available.