KAWARTHA LAKES-The City of Kawartha Lakes is proceeding with Phases 3 and 4 of a Schedule C Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) to consider the impacts associated with the proposed second crossing at Somerville Concession 3 near Fenelon Falls.
The Class EA process will address the following:
Existing and future traffic operations and conditions along 3rd Concession and within Fenelon Falls, including operations at key intersections; alternative designs implementing the improvements and addressing the identified future needs; the location, extent and sensitivity of the existing environments within the area; the potential impacts of each alternative design to the noted environments and possible mitigating measures; public and agency consultation and participation; and an assessment and evaluation of the alternative designs culminating in a preferred design.
The public is invited for input and comment early in the study such that they can be incorporated into the planning and overall study design. Comments should be directed
to the City and/or Consultant as noted below. A further opportunity for public input and comment will be provided at a Public Information Centre (open house) to be held in the upcoming months, during which time the various alternative designs and assessment of each will be presented.
Further details with respect to the Public Information Centre will be provided closer to the date.
A single 2-lane bridge along Lindsay Street (Kawartha Lakes Road 121) provides the only river crossing in the community of Fenelon Falls. This bridge represents a critical link in the local transportation system and is experiencing increasing congestion as growth occurs in the surrounding area. To explore potential solutions to this problem, the City of Kawartha Lakes completed Phases 1 and 2 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) process in 2021, as documented in the Fenelon Falls Second Crossing Study.
This study identified that additional crossing capacity was required in/around Fenelon Falls and found that a new bridge crossing the Burnt River on Somerville Concession Road 3 (3rd Concession) was the preferred alternative to provide this capacity. This study identified that further investigations should be completed prior to advancing to implementation of the second crossing on 3rd Concession.
As such, the City says it is is proceeding with Phases 3 and 4 of the MCEA process to further explore the preferred alternative and obtain the additional information necessary to make a fully informed decision prior to proceeding to implementation.
