Highway 11 Improvements

Dates: Early summer 2024 to fall 2024
Duration: Approximately four months 
Locations: Highway 11 from the boundary to Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury to Bathurst Street, then Highway 11 from Morning Sideroad to Green Lane

Description: 

• Removed and replaced the road surface
• Replaced storm sewers and catch basins
• Built a multi-use path on the east side of the road and installed new lighting
• Upgraded the intersection at the Victory Baptist Church and Yonge Green Lane Common shopping mall to meet accessibility standards, including audible pedestrian signals and tactile walking surfaces to alert people with low or no vision of an upcoming intersection

• Rehabilitated roads, upgraded traffic signals that meet the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA) standards, a new pedestrian signal and enhanced lighting
• A new multi-use path on the east side of Highway 11, between Morning Sideroad and Dog Wood Boulevard
• A signalized intersection north of Crimson King Way

• Phase one, undertaken in 2024, from Green Lane to Morning Sideroad and Bathurst Street to the Bradford Boundary was road rehabilitation. Road rehabilitation is the process of repairing and improving an existing road to extend its life, by removing the top layer of asphalt, undertaking minor structural fixes and repaving the road
• Phase two, being undertaken in 2025, from Morning Sideroad to Bathurst Street involves road reconstruction. Road reconstruction is a comprehensive process that involves completely removing and rebuilding a road from the ground up. This includes replacing the pavement, base, and sub-base layers. During this time, crews will also remove the median islands and decommissioning failing drainage systems, upgrading culverts, and road design features like shoulders, guiderail and lighting
• Road reconstruction is required along the median islands and inner lanes. Removing the median islands along with the drainage systems will result in ponding in the centre of the road.  Reconstruction will regrade and re-establish surface water to flow from the road centreline to the roadside ditches. Reconstruction ensures the road meets current safety and design standards
• Phase 2 will also include the following:
  • Upgrading the Bathurst Street and Morning Sideroad intersections to meet AODA standards
  • Installing a pedestrian signal at Blue Door Services
  • Installing a new signalized intersection north of Crimson King Way
  • Building a multi-use path with a retaining wall on the east side of the road and installing new lighting

• Road reconstruction removes all layers of the road and it is not suitable for driving. Traffic must be shifted while the road is rebuilt, including grading the road to redirect water from the centre, where it previously drained into storm sewers, to the roadside ditches
• A large retaining wall will be constructed on behalf of the Town of East Gwillimbury to create space for a new multi-use path. This work requires work on/adjacent to the road and requires lane reductions

• There are no existing pedestrian or bicycle facilities on this section of Highway 11. Cyclists are to use the roadway in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act and/or boulevard(s) in accordance with local bylaws

• York Regional Council continues to invest and make transportation improvements a priority, outlined in the  10-Year Roads and Transit Capital Construction Program Map
• Roads are identified for improvements for a variety of reasons including enhancing safety for pedestrians and cyclists, managing assets in a state of good repair and improving traffic flow to accommodate population growth by adding new lanes or creating new roads
• We regularly assess the condition of all regional roads and infrastructure. The existing asphalt and storm sewer system on Highway 11 are in poor or failing condition and requires rehabilitation

To learn more, watch the video below about how roads are chosen for construction.

• To help travellers plan ahead during road construction, we install advance signage, post messages on social media and our website, and distribute notices
• Travellers are encouraged to use traffic and navigation tools. York Region provides real-time traffic and road information in open data, used by many apps

• Follow us @YorkRegionGovt on Facebook and X using #onYRRoads

• Subscribe to receive project updates sent directly to your email

Dependent on the section of road, you may not see workers because:

• Work may not be happening on certain days due to inclement weather and even after the weather event, for example after a heavy rainfall, the contractor needs to wait until things get dry
• Work may be happening at one end of the road and no work somewhere else due to scheduling of work activities/sub-contractors or sequencing of activities, for example waiting for concrete to cure
• Work is happening away from driver’s line of sight at road level; for example while working on a retaining wall off the side of the road

To learn more, watch the video below about Construction in York Region: Why has work stopped?

• Traffic signal timing adjustments have been made to improve traffic flow during construction
• Staff will continue to monitor traffic signal timing and adjust as necessary