Preliminary Design
In 2020, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) completed a Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for improvements to the intersections of Highway 7 / Highway 15 and Highway 7 / McNeely Avenue in the Town of Carleton Place (GWP 4084-16-00).
The 2020 Preliminary Design and EA Study was developed in parallel with the Town of Carleton Place’s Highway District Secondary Plan.
North of Highway 7, the Highway District Secondary Plan identified two distinct separate future developments and provided separate access by private entrances from a new intersection to the west (at Franktown Road) and an existing intersection to the east (at McNeely Avenue). The Highway District Secondary Plan recommended protection for a future connection between these two developments at the discretion of the adjacent owners and the Town. The potential connection was intended for the businesses, customers or owners that would link parking lots/developments and provide alternative access when highway traffic increases significantly in the distant future.
The 2020 Preliminary Design and EA Study Recommended Plan includes a new intersection at Franktown Road and Findlay Avenue. The Preliminary Design and EA Study was documented in a Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) which received environmental clearance in August 2020.
For reference, the 2020 TESR can be found here.
TESR Addendum
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) retained WSP Canada Inc. (WSP) to undertake an Addendum to the Transportation Environmental Study Report (TESR) prepared in 2020 to document the Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment (Class EA) study for improvements to the intersection of Highway 7 and Highway 15 in the Town of Carleton Place (GWP 4084-16-00).
In September 2022, the Town of Carleton Place adopted a Transportation Master Plan (TMP) to plan for the transportation needs of the community beyond 2041. As part of the TMP, the potential for a new municipal road between McNeely Avenue and Findlay Avenue north of Highway 7 has been identified. In addition, changes to development density north of Highway 7 have also occurred since the completion of the 2020 TESR. The changes to development density and the new municipal road were not considered during the 2020 Preliminary Design and Class EA study.
As a result, the Town of Carleton Place requested that MTO undertake an addendum to the 2020 Preliminary Design and Class EA study. The purpose of the TESR Addendum was to review with the public the traffic impacts from the changes to development and the new road and identify any changes to the highway design and 2020 Recommended Plan.
As part of the TESR Addendum study, an update to the traffic analysis prepared as part of the 2020 Preliminary Design and Class EA study was undertaken to:
- Assess anticipated traffic volumes on Highway 7 and Highway 15 if a roadway is constructed north of Highway 7 as proposed in the TMP; and
- Consider the potential for additional density and development in the lands north of Highway 7 between McNeely Avenue and Franktown Road that were not captured during the 2020 Preliminary Design.
Due to an increase in traffic from the development north of Highway 7 documented in the updated traffic analysis, the 2023 TESR Addendum recommended that the dedicated right-turn lane on Highway 7 be implemented in the immediate term to reduce delay and queuing at the Highway 7 westbound approach at McNeely Avenue.
No other changes to the 2020 Recommended Plan were recommended as a result of the updated traffic analysis.
The TESR Addendum received environmental clearance in 2023. For reference, the 2023 TESR Addendum can be found here.