Kraus Development (525-565 Conestogo Road) | 3-35 fl | Proposed

[ijmorlan]

That will almost double the cost of the bridge to do so, by building two ramps.

And yes, you could run a trail back from the end of the bridge, but having the trail move THROUGH the green space at ground level, I believe would significantly improve the connection to it.

The height of the bridge is what is driving the length of the causeway. The ground slopes slightly away from the expressway because of superelevation around the turn, but the biggest difference would be the height of the tunnel. A 3 meter rise would only take 36 meters (for an ADA compliant ramp), where the bridge approach shown in the renders is approximately six times longer. That would put ground level well within the greenspace for the ramp.

I’m still skeptical. I would expect tunnelling to double the cost anyway, and I’m not sure you can resolve the safety concerns that would be raised. That being said, you raise a number of good points, especially about activation of the green space.