Thunder Bay Road closed until September for $4.7M reconstruction

Fort Erie has closed a section of Thunder Bay Road due to unsafe conditions, enforcing a full shutdown while an active $4.7-million reconstruction takes place which will restrict traffic until September 30.

The closure sits within an 800-metre rebuild zone between Burleigh Road South and Prospect Point Road South, where the town is replacing aging water infrastructure and rebuilding the roadway. Detours are in place and emergency access will be maintained during construction that began April 13.

The shutdown was triggered by deteriorating road conditions near 3379 Thunder Bay Road, according to Mitch Sawatsky, project manager with Town of Fort Erie Infrastructure Services, who told Fort Erie Radio the closure is required to control immediate safety risks within an already restricted construction corridor.

The town has restricted regular traffic across the full work zone to allow continuous reconstruction of underground services, road base and surface, along with installation of sidewalks, curbs and drainage systems.

“The full road closure is required to safely and efficiently complete the scope of work,” Sawatsky said in an email response.

The project includes replacement of an aging 300-millimetre cast iron watermain identified through the town’s asset management risk analysis, which requires urgent renewal to prevent failure.

Work also includes construction of a roundabout at Butlers Drive, a design the town selected to reduce vehicle speeds and collision severity while improving traffic flow at the intersection.

“Roundabouts reduce vehicle speeds, minimize severe collision types, and provide more efficient traffic movement,” Sawatsky said.

Emergency services retain coordinated access from both directions, with eastbound entry via Pleasant Avenue and westbound access through Maple Leaf Avenue during the closure period.

The project budget totals $4.7 million, funded through municipal reserves, development charges and government grants, and is tied in part to servicing needs for the planned West Wind Shores development in the area.

Construction is scheduled to run through late September, with scheduling dependent on weather conditions and completion of underground work before surface paving can proceed.

“The timeline reflects the contractor’s schedule to undertake major reconstruction activities, all of which are weather-dependent and must be completed sequentially,” the department said.

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