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+--- Thread: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph (/showthread.php?tid=225)
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - westwardloo - 02-17-2026
(02-17-2026, 01:23 PM)MidTowner Wrote: The reports all refer to "Grand River Bridges," yes because there will be one bridge for eastbound lanes, one for westbound.
No, there is no plan for a sidewalk or bike lanes on those Grand River Bridges, and no separate bridge for same that I have ever seen. It's easy to see why Frederick Street would be in a lot more need for that kind of infrastructure.
Seems like a missed opportunity to include a separate pedestrian bridge as part of this project. It would be a rounding error in terms of cost compared to the two car bridges. It would connect bridgeport residents to walter bean trail and could provide a safe method for all the city cyclist to get out into the country for the longer bike riders. Just seems like we could spend 1+ million on pedestrian infrastructure on a billion+ dollar project.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - ZEBuilder - 02-17-2026
The design is for 2 bridges, one for either direction of travel. It's a controlled access freeway, you don't see pedestrians and cyclists on the existing highway, you won't on this.
Pedestrian and cyclists will not be allowed on the bridges. However it will allow for Victoria to get bike lanes/ a MUT once the new highway is completed.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - MidTowner - 02-17-2026
(02-17-2026, 02:30 PM)ZEBuilder Wrote: The design is for 2 bridges, one for either direction of travel. It's a controlled access freeway, you don't see pedestrians and cyclists on the existing highway, you won't on this.
Pedestrian and cyclists will not be allowed on the bridges. However it will allow for Victoria to get bike lanes/ a MUT once the new highway is completed.
Excellent point. There will one day be opportunity to improve Victoria in all kinds of ways.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - westwardloo - 02-18-2026
(02-17-2026, 02:30 PM)ZEBuilder Wrote: The design is for 2 bridges, one for either direction of travel. It's a controlled access freeway, you don't see pedestrians and cyclists on the existing highway, you won't on this.
Pedestrian and cyclists will not be allowed on the bridges. However it will allow for Victoria to get bike lanes/ a MUT once the new highway is completed.
I think most people understand this. I mean that there should have been a completely separate pedestrian bridge span as part of the project. Making these large car infrastructure projects include small upgrades to pedestrian infrastructure is a win win and is something that I think is included more in Europe.
I do agree that HWY 7 will allow Victoria street to be downloaded from the province to the region and could be redesigned to include MUT and possible dedicated bus lanes or LRT in the future.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - tomh009 - 02-18-2026
(02-17-2026, 02:30 PM)ZEBuilder Wrote: Pedestrian and cyclists will not be allowed on the bridges. However it will allow for Victoria to get bike lanes/ a MUT once the new highway is completed and Doug Ford is no longer the premier.
I fixed that for you ... although at the rate the highway is being built, Ford will be long retired anyway by the time it's completed.
RE: Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph - ZEBuilder - 03-01-2026
There may be a redesign coming to the Guelph portion of this project.
The MTO currently has a contract in procurement that contains the following:
- GWP 3038-25-00 Highway 6 Marden Bypass Planning Study
- GWP 3039-25-00 Preliminary Design and Environmental Assessment for New Highway 7 from 500m west of Elmira Road to 700m south of Woodlawn Road.
- GWP 3037-25-00 Preliminary Design and Environmental Assessment for Highway 6 (Hanlon Expressway) upgrade to a freeway from 250m south of Wellington Street to 700m south of Woodlawn Road.
- GWP 3003-20-00 Detailed Design for Woodlawn Road Interchange
The Marden Bypass study only makes sense if they are planning for 6 to come into Guelph at the Hanlon, if they do that however they would need a new freeway-freeway interchange between New 7 and an extended Hanlon which would require a new EA and Preliminary Design. Which matches the contract, similarly upgrading the northern portion of the Hanlon would allow it to behave as a freeway for its entirety, south of Wellington St is planned to be upgraded to freeway standards (removal of lights at College, Stone and Downey, along with a new interchange).
The Woodlawn bridge was also supposed to go ahead to detailed design earlier (similar timing as Frederick) but waiting until this contract would allow for proper coordination between those preliminary designs and the detailed design of Woodlawn.