Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has reneged on a promise to call tenders this month on a contract to improve a dangerous intersection on Orangeville’s northern outskirts.

Mono Council was told Tuesday that despite earlier assurances that MTO would issue a call for tenders on July 1 and the improvements completed in the fall, no call was issued and no new date set, thanks to a continuing dispute with a developer over the appropriate design.

When completed, the newly signalized intersection will provide access to the Cedar Grove and Watermark subdivisions as well as several car dealerships and Monora Park.

The dispute between MTO and Watermark, a division of Aragon Properties Ltd., is believed to be over the length of Highway 10 that will have to be widened to provide suitable left turn lanes.

The widening is necessary because of the design selected when Highway 10 was widened to four lanes between First Street and Hockley Road about 20 years ago. Although five lanes at the First and Hockley intersections, the road has only a metre-wide turning lane between those junction points.

If MTO insists on a rural standard for the left turn lanes the project will require widening the highway for nearly a kilometre, as was the case with the recently completed project at 10 Sideroad/Dufferin Road 10. However, a much shorter widening was required for the turning lanes in Caledon village, possibly because of the 50-km/h speed limit. (Because of the subject stretch’s semiurban nature and its 30-odd points of access, the speed limit between First St. and Hockley Rd. is 60 km/h.)

At Tuesday’s council session, Mono CAO Keith McNenly said there is still a chance of the signals being installed this year, “but the odds are below 50 per cent, instead of over 50 per cent.”

Barely concealing his sarcasm, Cedar Grove resident Everett Black asked: “I’m 71. Will I live to see it?” His consternation could be based on the fact some Cedar Grove homeowners have been receiving assurances for more than 30 years that traffic signals would soon be installed.

A delegation of Cedar Grove residents was told in April that Mono had been advised by MTO that tenders for installation of traffic lights and turning lanes would be called July 1.

Instead, Mono has now been advised that MTO has rejected four designs presented by Aragon, currently building the Watermark subdivision west of Highway 10 that is to have access to the highway via a westward extension of Cedar Grove Road.

In an e-mail response to questions posed by the Orangeville Citizen, Londonbased MTO spokesperson Jill Miller said Monday that, at this time, “there is agreement in principle regarding the scope of the required improvements (of the road design).

“We are working with the developer to finalize the design. Once the design is finalized, a legal agreement between the developer and the ministry can be executed and permits issued.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, Mono council expressed its collective skepticism about construction starting this fall, considering the time it takes to hammer out a legal agreement and put out tenders.

As well, there is no guarantee the MTO will approve the developer’s fifth design.

“We’re not lying down on this,” said Mayor Lorie Haddock, “but we’re starting to lose hope (for construction) this year.”

The intersection has been the site of some major traffic

accidents over the years.

Currently, drivers leaving the existing subdivision who

wish to turn left, must contend

with crossing two northbound lanes of the

busy highway, and it is

not uncommon for vehicles

to be traveling a lot faster than the 60 km/speed limit.

The Cedar Grove intersection is not Mono council’s only cause for con- cern. Pointing out that the highway is getting busier with expansion of development in the area, Deputy Mayor Ken McGhee suggested the ministry be urged to install turning lanes on Highway 10 at 20, 25 and 30 Sideroads so that they meet the standard now found at all similar intersections between Highway 410 and Camilla.