Mayor Alex Nuttall on Friday cut the ribbon to open a new extension connecting Bryne Drive South to Harvie Road through to Caplan Avenue.
“‘Finally’ is the word I keep hearing about the completion of the Bryne Drive South extension — and it couldn’t be more fitting,” he said.
The $16 million project is meant to ease traffic flow in Barrie’s south end as well as to improve urban connectivity. Crews broke ground on it in 2023 and had not expected to complete it until later in the year.
“Residents have patiently awaited this project, and I’m grateful to City staff for delivering it ahead of schedule,” Nuttall said.
The road boasts five traffic lanes and two sidewalks. Beneath the asphalt, a number of invisible improvements were also made to a water main, sewage lines and storm drains.
Perhaps the most contentious feature is the inclusion of two bike lanes. According to a recent public opinion survey on Barrie’s traffic infrastructure, only a small minority (6 per cent) of respondents felt the needs of bicyclists should be prioritized over drivers and pedestrians.
“Cycling infrastructure should not be considered at all,” wrote one participant. “Reducing traffic capacity for cycle lanes — which, like all of them in Barrie, are not used — would be a disaster.”
Despite this, Councillor Sergio Morales is confident that most drivers will come to see their value.
“As I’m a Red Tory, people are sometimes surprised by my support for bike lanes,” Morales says. “But without them, drivers and bicyclists have to share the road — and most people realize that just slows things down for everyone.”
