The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) Eastern Region has retained the services of Egis (formerly McIntosh Perry Consulting Engineers Ltd.) and LEA Consulting Ltd. Joint Venture (Egis-LEA Joint Venture) to carry out the Detail Design and Class EA for the reconstruction of Highway 7 in the Town of Perth from approximately 1.3 km west of County Road 511 easterly to Wayside Drive West, approximately 4.5 km, in the County of Lanark. The study is for the Detail Design of the preferred alternative from the approved 2009 Transportation Environmental Study Report.
The project scope of work includes, but is not limited to:
Resurfacing of the highway;
Widening of Highway 7 between County Road 511 and Perth Mews Mall and between Wilson Street and Drummond Street to accommodate a continuous two-way left-turn lane;
Intersection improvements including dedicated left-turn lanes;
Commercial entrance modifications;
Construction of a new municipal roadway from Dufferin Road southerly to Highway 7, with a new intersection at the Highway;
Closing Dufferin Road east of Drummond Street West and creating a new cul-de-sac adjacent to the Elmwood Cemetery; and
Closing Highway 7 access to Morris Road South and creating a new cul-de-sac at the east end of Morris Road South.
Highway 7 Study Area
In 2018, a follow-up study to the 2009 Class EA was undertaken by Stantec. This report considered the introduction of roundabouts at County Road 511, Perth Mews Mall, Wilson Street West and Drummond Street West intersections as an alternative to traffic signals and a centre left-turn lane along the Highway 7 corridor through the Town of Perth. Although both intersection alternatives scored similarly during the evaluation, the roundabout alternative was not chosen due to public comments, impediments to pedestrian traffic, challenges accommodating oversized vehicles, additional property requirements, utility impacts and proximity to the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Ministry is proceeding with the recommendations of the 2009 Transportation Environmental Study Report. The Recommended Plan drawings are available here for viewing. In addition, an Addendum to the 2009 TESR was completed in 2024 to document the changes to the 2009 Recommended Plan as a result of the additional property requirements, staging, blasting, noise, night work and environmental concerns identified during the Detail Design. The Detail Design for the Recommended Plan is following the approved planning process for a Group ‘B’ project under the Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities (2000), with opportunity for public input throughout. At the completion of the Detail Design, a Design and Construction Report (DCR) will be prepared which documents the study and will be made available for a 30-day public review. Blueberry Creek Culvert is located 0.7 km west of County Road 511 on Highway 7 within the study area. The Blueberry Creek Culvert will undergo a separate Detail Design and Class EA Study. The study has been classified as a Group ‘C’ project in accordance with the MTO Class EA (2000). As part of Detail Design, several replacement alternatives will be developed and evaluated and the appropriate strategy for the replacement will be determined.