Deal reached to keep two-way traffic in Thorold Tunnel
Fears that eastbound vehicles could be rerouted led to outcry from public; weather, however, mat dictate temporary closures
Niagara drivers caught a break Thursday after enduring months of slowdowns and stoppages during a busy construction season.
Two-way traffic will continue as usual through the Thorold Tunnel all winter.
“Relief, yeah. I’m ecstatic,” said Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini.
“Traffic in only one way would not have been a good result.”
With the tunnel’s south tube closed for maintenance, the north tube has been divided to accommodate singlelane, two-way traffic.
But there were fears snow plows couldn’t fit in the narrow lanes. The provincial Transportation Ministry apparently considered removing the centre barrier to limit the tunnel to westbound traffic only through the winter.
Thousands of eastbound vehicles would have been rerouted elsewhere, a situation that alarmed residents and business people.
That led to a meeting earlier this week involving representatives from the province, Niagara Region, Thorold, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls. The result was announced Thursday.
Two-way traffic will continue and the MTO will provide smaller, twotonne plows that can fit in the tunnel.
However, during heavier than usual snowfall the tunnel might have to be temporarily closed for safety reasons. The MTO will provide new, highly visible signage to direct drivers when that happens.
Ugulini said four other alternatives were examined and discarded, including the one-direction option. Another would have seen traffic lights installed at both ends of the tunnel, but that would have caused unwieldy backups. “This is a good solution,” he said. “We get two-way traffic, and if we get real bad weather and we have to shut it down … people will accept that because they know we’re doing it for safety reasons. The right reasons.”
He admitted the public made its opposition to one-way traffic clear: “I got it from everyone. Believe me, my phone was lit up like a Christmas tree.”
Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch called it a learning experience for everyone involved, reinforcing the need for agencies and governments to communicate better.
“You can’t just look at the Thorold Tunnel as one issue in that part of the region,” he said.
“If you shut it down, it’s going to have repercussions on Glendale Avenue, and construction projects in other areas. I think it was a bit of tunnel vision and lack of planning.”
He said he thanked Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney for getting involved and helping bring the groups together.
Work on the south tube is expected to finish about April. After it reopens, the north tube will be closed for similar maintenance. The entire project is scheduled to wrap up in 2021.
With so many lane closures and highway delays due to construction across Niagara, Burch said the threat of a tunnel closure “definitely was the straw that broke the camel’s back” and spurred drivers’ anger.
“I’ve been hearing it for a while, finally I think people said enough is enough,” he said.
In a news release, Region Chair Jim Bradley called the tunnel “a key transportation artery … and the solution we all agreed upon keeps this conduit open while maintaining safety on the roadways.”
MPP Wayne Gates, whose Niagara Falls riding would have been hard hit by tunnel traffic being rerouted, said, “I hope this level of communication will continue.
“This will be a benefit to the thousands of residents and businesses that need access to the tunnel on a daily basis.”