The municipality is committed to developing a safer, more accommodating downtown. The water and sewer pipes that run beneath Beckwith Street have long surpassed their useful life (some of the pipes were installed in the late 1800’s). The surface of Beckwith Street is also deteriorating rapidly and maintenance costs will escalate significantly if left unattended. The town must also make improvements by 2025 to meet the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

Construction on Beckwith Street North from Russell Street to Elmsley Street North will be commencing on, or around April 4th, 2022.

Who will complete the work?

Following an endorsement by Town Council on October 12, 2021, the Town of Smiths Falls awarded the contract to Thomas Cavanagh Construction Limited for Phase 2 of the Beckwith Street Revitalization Project.

The works will include replacement of all underground municipal infrastructure such as water mains, sewer mains and services to property line, new roadway, on street parking, a dedicated cycle track, new sidewalks and curbs, a Pedestrian Cross Over (PXO – crossing Beckwith Street at Church Street), new signalized intersection at Elmsley Street, new LED decorative street lighting, landscaping features, and the placement of new street furniture.
 

Phase Two of the projected is expected to costs approximately $5.1 M.

The Town has received funding covering approximately $4 M (nearly 78% of forecasted costs). Funding for the project comes from various sources, including the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, Federal Gas Tax Funding and the province’s Connecting link 2021-2022 program, to name a few.

The remaining 22% will be funded through capital reserves provided by the Town of Smiths Falls.
 

The contractor will be permitted to close Beckwith Street between Russell Street and Elmsley Street North. North and southbound passenger vehicle traffic will be detoured via Chambers Street to Elmsley Street and Elmsley Street to Chambers Street respectively to get around the road closure. Beckwith Street will remain open between Chambers Street and Russell Street to accommodate access to businesses and residences in the area. Additional detours will be in place for Jasper Avenue, Old Slys Road and Queen Street to accommodate larger commercial through traffic.
 

There will be no parking on Beckwith Street within the construction zone (Russell Street to Elmsley Street North). Parking will be permitted in the downtown core between Chambers Street and Russell Street, as well as side streets. There may be parking disruptions at times within the aforementioned areas due to construction activities. Removing the parking is a critical part of ensuring the Contractor receives the needed space to carry out the work in an efficient manner. All on-street parking will be available on each of the side streets as usual. Public parking is also available at the municipal parking lot located at the corner of Market Street North and William Street East, as well as the municipal parking lot located adjacent to the water tower on Old Mill Road.
 

Curbside waste and recycling pick-ups will generally not change during construction.  All property owners will be required to set out materials at the curbside for 7:00 a.m. each morning in order to ensure collection service.  The Contractor will round up all curbside materials and take them to a convenient location for collection by the Town’s curbside collection provider.  Owners are asked to please label their blue and yellow boxes with your civic address number so the Contractor knows how to get them back to you.

Some temporary interruptions in water and wastewater services will occur throughout construction, however the Town and the Contractor will take all reasonable efforts to keep these impacts to a minimum. Should the contractor require isolation of your municipal services, they will communicate that to affected properties in advance.  

How will businesses get deliveries during construction?

The Contractor will work with individual businesses to help facilitate loading needs during construction.  Where possible, businesses should communicate their loading/unloading practices to the Town prior to construction. Help the Town understand your general needs by sharing details on your operations.  What size of trucks provide deliveries for your business? How often do they serve you and where do they generally park?  Are the deliveries provided at a specific time of day?

The Contractor will be required to develop a pedestrian management plan that will provide quality access to local businesses throughout construction.   However, there may be a period of disruption when sidewalks are poured during the late phases of the project.  The Town and the Contractor will be working closely with local businesses and residential properties prior to scheduling those activities.

Once construction is complete, how many on street parking stalls will there be compared to the angle parking arrangement?

There are currently 35 parking stalls on Beckwith Street between Russell Street and Elmsley Street North. The current yield cannot be replicated because parking spaces need to meet minimum setbacks from traffic signals and pedestrian crossings.  New accessibility requirements will also mean larger spaces are needed to serve accessible vehicles with rear deploying ramps / lift mechanisms. The goal is to maximize parking, and it is expected there will still be parking capacity for 31 vehicles. There are also opportunities to create new parking stalls on several intersecting streets to minimize the overall reduction – this will be pursued to its full potential in the future.

Complete Streets are streets that are designed to be safe for everyone: people who walk, bike, or drive, and people of all ages and abilities. They also consider other uses like sidewalk cafés, street furniture, street trees, utilities, stormwater management, and many other uses.

Yes. The design reduces the barrier that presently exists between regular parking stalls and the sidewalk. The new design provides improved access from the parking lane to the cycle lane, then to the sidewalk. The extra parallel parking lane width will make it easier for lift equipped vehicles to deploy a side ramp or maneuver an assistive device out of or into their vehicle. Additional designated spaces will also be provided in each block that will allow increased opportunities for vehicles that deploy accessible equipment from the rear.

The Beckwith Street Revitalization project presents the perfect opportunity to install cycling lanes in the more intense section of downtown. The cycling network can be expanded over time with either dedicated lanes or shared use lanes to meet the Town’s long-term objectives for active transportation as confirmed in the town’s 2019-22 Strategic Plan. The Beckwith Street redesign will serve our community for decades.

Was the public consulted on this project?

Discussions with the outside community started on the Beckwith Street Revitalization project back in September 2017. The town hosted open-houses with the public, as well as a number of working groups with stakeholders, engagement with the Downtown Business Association and the Chamber of Commerce, and a number of updates and discussions at Town Council.

The Town is committed to continue working with local residents, businesses, stakeholders and community groups throughout the construction project, and will be hosting a “Construction Information Night” on the evening of March 31, 2022 from 6:30 -7:30 pm at the Town Hall Welcome Centre. All are welcome to attend and participate in this forum. The Town will also be posting regular updates online and on social media.

Where can I find out more information about the project?

Construction information and progress updates will be posted to the website. The Town will also be using social media, particularly Facebook, to communicate developments in the project.