October 27, 2016
Starting the week of October 31, crews will begin the last phase of tree removals along Highway 7 West, Bathurst Street and Centre Street, in preparation for water main replacement, utility relocation and road widening activities. Please see below for further details about the upcoming work.
when are trees being removed along Highway 7, Bathurst and Centre Streets?
work dates*: starting the week of Oct 31, until the end of the year
work hours: 7am–7pm
where are trees being removed?
During this phase of tree removal, crews will remove trees along Centre Street [from Dufferin Street to Bathurst Street], on Bathurst Street [from Centre Street to Highway 7] and on Highway 7 West [from Bruce Street to Commerce Street].
why are trees being removed?
Highway 7 West, Bathurst Street and Centre Street are being widened for rapidways—dedicated lanes in the centre of the road for rapid transit. Trees that are located within water main replacement, utility relocation and road widening areas need to be removed to allow for this work activity to proceed.
how many trees are being removed vs. preserved?
During this phase of removals, approximately 320 trees (70 trees in the Bathurst & Centre area and 250 along Highway 7 West) of varying health and sizes will be removed. Special effort has been undertaken to protect 1,215 existing trees in both the east and west corridors. In addition, 38 trees have been transplanted to three parks in Vaughan.
will any new trees be planted?
Once the rapidway project is complete, landscaping will include over 1,000 new trees and 8,000 new shrubs. Highway 7 West and the Bathurst & Centre area will have attractive, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks with a carefully curated selection of trees, bushes and plants. For details on what will be planted and why, check our blog post called “Choosing plants for colour, form and structure”.
what impacts will there be during this work?
Being mindful of the community, crews will remove trees in sections and chip the wood off site, which will then be used for landscaping purposes. All areas will be cleaned up before moving on to the next location.
- Temporary lane closures, as required, from 7am–7pm* in the curb lanes near the work area as crews move along the corridors.
- There may be some noise prior to 7am as crews assemble and arrange the equipment they require.
- Wherever possible, sidewalks will remain open. If a sidewalk is closed, directional signs will be onsite to guide pedestrians.
*Please note: As with other road construction projects, some work may be rescheduled due to weather or other variables. We’ll provide advance notice whenever possible. When work progresses according to schedule, crews typically work from 7am–5pm. If additional time is required, crews will work until 7pm unless otherwise noted.
If you have questions about the tree removal program, or the vivaNext rapidway project in general, please don’t hesitate to contact me.