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Wednesday, May 16, 2012 1937 - 2012 · Celebrating 75 Years Orono Weekly Times - 5 Meaghan Johnson Photo Approximately 70 Clarke High School students participated in the 30 Hour Famine to raise money and awareness of world hunger, on May 4th. They spent the last night of their famine at the school and raised $1,893. Newcastle underpasses due for reconstruction in 2013 On Monday Council members received an update on Highway 401 improvements which were first announced in 2005. Preliminary designs for the Cobbledick Road and Townline Road underpasses are now completed and it is anticipated construction will be undertaken in 2013 ­ 2014. In his presentation to committee members on Monday morning, Tim Sorochinsky, Senior Project Manager, URS Corporation, the consulting firm hired by the Ministry of Transportation do the preliminary design and environmental assessment for 401 improvements from Courtice Road to East Townline Road in Clarington, explained that the two underpasses do not meet current MTO geometric guidelines. Both bridges were constructed in 1958, and given their age, Sorochinsky said it is more cost effective to replace the structures rather than rehabilitate them. With only a two foot separation between the driving lane and the centre pier, the bridges do not meet current government geometric requirements, according to Sorochinsky. The MTO standard for such structures now is a 10 metre separation between the driving lane and the centre pier. While building new structures to the east and west of the existing bridges were considered in the environmental assessment, it was determined that new underpasses on the existing alignments was the best option. The East Townline underpass will be closed to traffic during construction and traffic will be redirected to Newtonville Road along Highway 2 and Concession Road 1. One lane of the Cobbledick underpass will remain open during construction of that new bridge with signal lights controlling traffic. The Transportation Environmental Study Report will be posted in September for a 30 day public review period after which a Detailed Design study will be undertaken in preparation for contracting the project for construction. When questioned by Councillor Neal as to the cost of the Environmental Assessment and the preliminary design work conducted on the two structures, Sorochinsky, answered it was in the low six figures. Neal wondered why when the bridges are 54 years old such an extensive environmental assessment needed to be carried out, to which Sorochinsky replied that standard procedure was followed in this project. The second part of Sorochinsky's project is to look at future improvements to Highway 401 in the described area, though this project is not within MTO's five year plan. "Within the study limits Highway 401 is currently operating at an acceptable level," Sorochinsky stated. Projecting out to 2031 some sections will not meet future traffic demands. Sorochinsky is recommending the highway be widened to 10 lanes from Courtice Road to Liberty Street, and eight to ten lanes from Liberty Street to Highway 115. He does not see the need for any widening beyond the current six lanes east of the Highway 115 exit.