Big changes are coming to one of Sudbury's largest-ever capital roads projects, amassive undertaking that's been years in the making. And so far it's on-time and on budget.
Crews are finishing up a major phase of the Maley Drive Extension and it'll likely mean a change in some people's commutes.
Next week, they'll be moving drivers from the old pavement to the new pavement between Notre Dame Avenue and Collège Boréal, which that means some changes.
"Other than the new westbound loop that you take is a little bit different, so even though it's going to take you in a direction towards the valley, it will lead you back on Maley Drive to get there, but it's definitely a change than what people are used to," said Dave Shelsted , of the City of Greater Sudbury.
Over the course of the last year, crews have been busy working on building an 11-kilometre stretch from Collège Boréal to Cambrian College.
More than one-million cubic metres of rock has had to be moved in the process.
"This is where we hope the dominoes will now start to fall. This will reduce traffic on Lasalle and Kingsway and reduce costs maintaining those, but we will have this state-of-the-art roadway and it'll certainly help in many, many ways," said Sudbury City Councillor Al Sizer.
The road will provide many new features Sudburians aren't used to, including roundabouts, but city staff say there is no need to panic.
"Roundabouts are the safest intersections that we have, and that's why we've proposed a few for Maley Drive. They're not as common to Sudbury drivers, so it's going to take those of us who haven't travelled to other parts of the province some time to get used to," said Shelsted.
"And it will help those people from the valley coming into the city and those from Garson, Nickel Centre, the former Nickel Centre, will be able to travel to places on Lasalle Boulevard much quicker and easier," said Sizer.
Crews should have the roundabout complete by early October.
The entire Maley Drive project is scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.
