The new project team is looking forward to connecting with residents and hearing about integrating the new bridge into the Kingston community. Communication and engagement programs will be part of the bridge's detailed design in 2020.

West shore roadwork final design engagement

• Thank you to all the residents who reviewed and asked questions about the final design for west shore roadwork and active transportation elements.
• Read the Summary of Engagement. ​​​​​​​
• The final designs for connections to the Third Crossing bridge from the west shore of the Cataraqui River are available. They include new and improved active transportation elements for all ages and abilities, including cyclists, pedestrians and multi-modal users.
• The final designs can be viewed on the City's Get Involved Kingston page. ​​​​​​​
• The final designs for John Counter Boulevard between the bridge and Ascot Lane aims to achieve the following:
  • Enhance safety and connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists of all ages and abilities
  • Increase pedestrian facilities with new sidewalks, multi-use pathways, and crosswalks
  • Provide new cycling facilities including multi-use pathways and cycle tracks
  • Provide new signalized 4-leg intersection at Ascot Lane provides access to Riverpark neighbourhood to the north and Skyline apartments to the south
  • Improve entrance/exit for vehicles accessing commercial businesses located on south side of John Counter Blvd
  • Maintain full access for emergency service vehicles
  • Allow for future expansion of transit service along John Counter Boulevard
• Interim improvements at the intersection of Montreal and John Counter
  • In 2020, the City received federal grant funding to enable enhanced improvements at the Montreal/John Counter intersection. These include new transit infrastructure and active transportation facilities for all ages and abilities (AAA) on the west shore of the bridge. Public engagement and design work on this AAA intersection project is scheduled for 2022, with construction tentatively scheduled to start in 2023.

East shore landscaping and site restoration: final design and Q&A

• Thank you to all the residents who reviewed and asked questions about the final design for the landscaping and site restoration of the east shore as part of the Third Crossing project. Future public engagement opportunities will be planned for the bridge and west shore where additional aspects of landscaping and site restoration, including opportunities for cultural heritage interpretation and public art will be explored.
• Read the Summary of Engagement.
• The final designs can be viewed on the City's Get Involved Kingston page. ​​​​​​​
• The location of the Third Crossing’s natural environment which is dominated by the Cataraqui River and the large wetland north of the bridge makes it unique. To aid the design, the team is also incorporating elements of Context Sensitive Design (CSD). CSD aims to make the design of the bridge ‘fit with or respond to’ its’ environment. Respecting this natural environment is reflected in many of the final east-shore design aspects, including:

  • Re-naturalizing shoreland areas and the use of native and low maintenance landscaping materials that promote biodiversity.

  • Re-aligning of pathways to avoid culturally sensitive areas and the rebuilding of the heritage wall parallel to Gore Road.

• The final design elements are intended to:

  • Enhance the city tree canopy by planting new trees. Species native to the area that are well-suited to the east shore existing woodland and that create additional biodiversity have been chosen.
  • Offer new and enhanced accessible connections to promote active transportation and healthy living. Including:
    • Accessible sidewalks, cycle-tracks and pathways for use by pedestrians, cyclists and multi-modal users.
    • Off-road paved and accessible pathways to connect segments of a future waterfront trail network.

• Restore and re-naturalize areas with low-maintenance vegetation to promote infiltration of rainfall run-off, reduce erosion of exposed soils and sediment deposition in the Cataraqui River.

  • You can review the designs and ask questions of the project team on the City’s Get Involved Kingston engagement site. Construction on the east-shore landscaping and site restoration begins in late fall 2021 and will be completed in the summer of 2022.
  • Keeping the bridge as low as possible so it blends into the natural landscapes along this section of the Cataraqui River.
  • Maximizing the span lengths to reduce the number of permanent in-water piers and reduce the impact on the natural aquatic environment.
  • Having an above-standard life expectancy for the bridge, to minimize future maintenance and rehabilitation work and help to protect the natural environment.

Point St Mark and Gore Rd intersection (south leg) engagement

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The primary reason for engaging residents on the design of the intersection is to help decide if the south leg of the intersection and access into the Point St. Mark neighbourhood should remain permanently open, permanently closed or one-way out only (right-turn off Point St. Mark Drive onto Gore Road), following completion of the Third Crossing bridge.
• The Project Team is engaging residents through a three-phased approach and will release a final design in early 2021. The phased-approach, completed initiatives and anticipated dates are below:
  • Phase 1 (August 7 to August 21) COMPLETE: a 3-question informal poll was issued through the project community e-newsletter to gauge sentiment on keeping the intersection permanently open, permanently closed or one-way out only.
    • We received a healthy amount of responses. The results were conclusive and gives the City good direction in preparing the design of the intersection that will restrict vehicular access to provide a right turn only onto Gore Rd.
    • Read our responses to comments received from Phase 1 "Comments and summary on Point St. Mark Dr. and Gore Rd. engagement"
  • Phase 2 (August 21 to end of 2020) COMPLETE: reviewed feedback and input from residents, stakeholders including Emergency Service Providers, and the Project Team to create the final draft design of the intersection.

  • Phase 3 (February 3, 2021 - February 23, 2021): COMPLETE: Presented the final design on the City’s engagement platform. ​​​​​​​

Summary of Engagement

Read our document outlining the summary of engagement for Point St. Mark Dr. and Gore Road intersection.  ​​​​​​​

​​​Dedicated Right-Turn Lane – East Leg of Hwy15/Gore Rd Intersection

During the recent public engagement on the final design of the Point St Mark and Gore Rd intersection, the project team also received some additional questions related to the Highway 15 and Gore Rd intersection.  In essence, some residents asked about the possible provision or inclusion of a dedicated right-turn lane on the east leg of this intersection. It was suggested that there is currently a high demand for vehicles travelling west bound along Gore Rd that want to make a right turn to travel north bound on Highway 15.  It was also suggested that this demand will remain following the completion of the Third Crossing bridge.

 The final design for the Highway 15 and Gore Rd intersection makes provisions for a combined through and right-turn lane along with a dedicated left-turn lane on the east leg of the intersection for vehicles travelling westbound. The rationale for this lane configuration is based upon the following:

1.  A number of traffic modelling studies have been undertaken to consider the future number of vehicles that will be using this intersection. The modelling also examines the various through direction and turning movements for vehicles on all four legs of the intersections. The results of the traffic modelling work have determined that there is not a demonstrated need for a dedicated right-turn lane on the east leg of the intersection. In other words there is an adequate level of service for vehicles wanting to make a right turn and doing so with the use of a shared through/right-turn lane.  It is important to note that this does not mean that a vehicle wanting to make a right turn is unimpeded.  Instead, it means that the possible delay for making the right turn is within an acceptable level of service as defined by policy adopted by the City of Kingston.

2.  The transportation policy adopted by the City of Kingston places a higher level of importance of providing safe infrastructure to promote travel by walking and cycling. Sidewalks and off-road cycle tracks combined with pedestrian crossings and cross-ride facilities in the intersection are very important infrastructure components that will help the City of Kingston promote active forms of transportation.  These facilities require space within the City-owned road allowance (also known as road right-of-way). As a result, the inclusion of the sidewalk and off-road cycle tracks and the physical space required to accommodate will take priority over the space required to add a dedicated right-turn lane, especially when it is not warranted.

3.  The inclusion of a dedicated right-turn lane on the east leg of the intersection is prohibitively expensive and is estimated to cost between $800-900K. The high cost to build a dedicated right-turn lane is driven by the need to reconfigure the storm sewer drainage infrastructure within the intersection and the necessity to build additional deep storm sewers to accommodate the drainage requirements.  In addition, there would also be the need to relocate additional above ground electric infrastructure. As previously mentioned, the need is not justified and the negligible level of service improvements provided by a dedicated right-turn do not justify the significant cost investment.   

Hwy 15 and Gore Rd intersection engagement - final design (June 2020 - July 2020)

In September 2019, we provided a draft concept design of Hwy 15 & Gore Rd intersection based upon the preliminary work on the Hwy 15  Class Environmental Assessment. Since then, there have been City-wide decisions based on global and municipal interests surrounding climate change and sustainability, which have influenced the final design. You can view the final design and then ask questions of us for two weeks on the City of Kingston’s Get Involved platform from June 15 – 29. 

Highlights of the final design of Hwy 15 and Gore Rd intersection prioritizes:

• Increasing pedestrian facilities with the addition of sidewalks and pedestrian refuge areas at all four corners of the intersection
• Making it safer for cyclists with the creation of off-road cycling facilities and cross rides so cyclists can move through the intersection easier
• Providing more travel options by building a multi-use pathway for multi-modal users on both Gore Rd and Hwy 15
• Expanding transit infrastructure in all directions by allowing for transit queue-hopping and providing bus stops at the intersection in all directions for future service
• Supporting various methods of commuting around Kingston that encourage sustainable transportation 

​​​​​​Download the pdf version of all of the slides to see the full story of the evolution of the intersection design and see how the final design is focussed on active transportation and transit improvements.

Summary of engagement

​​​​​​​Hwy 15 & Gore Rd. Engagement Summary

• For a two-week period, June 15 - June 29, 2020, the project team presented the final design of Highway 15 and Gore Road intersection on the City’s engagement platform.
• As a brief summary of the engagement, there were more than 1,700 visits to the engagement webpage where the final design was located. A total of 405 participants downloaded the documents and there were 60 questions and comments asked of the project team through three main portals: the City’s Get Involved Kingston page, the Third Crossing inbox, and staff emails. The project team also received 33 comments via email.
• Many resident questions and comments were focused on cycling, traffic flow and intersection design elements. Working with the Transportation & Public Works group, the team was able to respond to all questions and comments with definitive answers. Other comments were focused on another intersection in the neighbourhood, Point St. Mark Drive and Gore Road (south leg).