The Town and the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) have both lead transportation studies along the Highway 26 corridor with many of the studies seeming to overlap. Any overview of the studies is available online.
In 2014 the MTO competed a Ministry Environmental Assessment for the rehabilitation of Highway 26 from east of Thornbury to Grey Road 21. This study and the subsequent construction work completed in 2015 has a 10 to 15 year timeline. Its purpose was to address short-term drainage, access and road platform concerns.
From the Town’s Strategic Transportation Plan completed in 2010 came three Municipal Class Environmental Assessments (EA’s) that followed the formal process to consider alternatives at:
- Intersections of Highway 26 / Grey Road 2 / Clark Street;
- Intersections of Highway 26 / Grey Road 40 / Woodland Park Road; and
- Highway 26 Craigleith Area from Grey Road 19 to Grey Road 21
The primary focus of these three EA’s is for the next 15 – 20 years for mid-range improvements necessary to address road deficiencies and coordinate improvements needed due to growth pressures. Of these three EA’s, two are completed while the Craigleith Area EA is still ongoing. More information on this study is available on the Town’s website Craigleith Area & Highway 26 EA.
In 2015, the MTO completed a long range 20 – 50 years Highway 26 Transportation Study – Needs Assessment Report to scope future studies for the broader Highway 26 corridor from east of Stayner to west of Thornbury. This study proposed by-passes of Stayner, Collingwood and Thornbury. Due to the escarpment, the preferred proposal included a future widening of Highway 26 through Craigleith from Grey Road 21 to the future Thornbury by-pass. The widening is suggested to be a 4 or 5 lanes road section. The study did include a possible alternate route for the highway along Grey Road 19 and Grey Road 2. Although using the county roads for a realigned Highway 26 was not preferred, it will still be evaluated as a possible option when the relevant study is completed.