Ontario Construction News staff writer
AtkinsRéalis has been selected by the Regional Municipality of York to provide design and engineering services for a major expansion of Highway 27 in Vaughan.
The project will see the north-south road widened from two to four lanes between Major Mackenzie Drive and just north of Nashville Road. Plans also call for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, along with improvements to bridges, retaining walls and noise barriers.
Officials say the goal is to reduce congestion and improve travel in one of the Greater Toronto Area’s busiest corridors. Highway 27 connects Barrie and communities northwest of Toronto with the GTA and downtown via Highways 401, 407 and 427.
“Connecting communities is at the heart of what we do,” said Stéphanie Vaillancourt, president of AtkinsRéalis Canada, in a statement. “We’re bringing our world-class expertise and local insights to York Region.”
AtkinsRéalis will handle detailed design, contract administration and inspection services. The work includes designing active transportation features such as sidewalks, cycle tracks and multi-use paths; evaluating and rehabilitating or replacing the Humber River bridge north of Major Mackenzie Drive, with consideration for potential heritage status; widening the Humber River bridge south of Nashville Road; and designing retaining walls and noise barriers.
According to the Toronto Board of Trade, commuters in the region spend an average of 98 hours a year stuck in rush-hour traffic, costing the economy nearly $45 billion annually. Officials say the Highway 27 expansion could also support housing development.
AtkinsRéalis has completed similar congestion-relief road projects in Peel and York regions and operates a materials testing lab in Vaughan. The company is hiring for municipal and highway engineering roles in the GTA.
