Pink Road expansion inches closer: public consultation mid-May

The Pink Road expansion project will see a 2.5 km stretch of Pink Road in the Plateau district of Aylmer expand from two to four lanes. Included is a multifunctional walking/cycling path on either side of the road.

Residents of the Plateau are invited to an open house, May 17th,  5 to 8 pm at the Centre Communautaire du Plateau, 145 boul. de l’Atmosphère.

Construction is planned for the summer of 2018, and will be completed in three phases.  Phase One will begin at rue de la Gravité, ending at boul. des Grives. The final phase will extend past Vanier Road, encroaching on the Deschênes corridor.

Benefits claimed for the plan include traffic light-controlled intersections, better traffic flow, street lighting, sidewalks for STO passengers getting on and off buses, as well as landscaped greenery along the entire length of the section, according to City officials in an information session on October 25th last year.

The expansion has been a long time coming. In 2001, the then-City of Hull asked the Ministère des Transports to solidify the details. Since then, there have been a series of environmental impact reports issued by the Ministère de l’Environnement (MDDEP), as well as the Bureau des audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE).

The project has also been approved by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA). The CEAA’s  final report states that “the project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects”. Despite these findings, nearby residents remain skeptical about other impacts, particularly air and noise pollution resulting from increased traffic.

During the October consultation, the city discussed anti-noise barriers and promised regular monitoring of noise levels during the construction phase. The city is also required to monitor noise levels one, five, ten and fifteen years after project completion.

A public team has been assembled to contribute their knowledge of the area and technical expertise, as needed by the city. The team includes Pink Road residents, representatives from the Plateau elementary school, the Portages-de-l’Outaouais school board and l’Association Vélo Outaouais.   

Later this month, the city should submit the final authorization request to the province, to begin Phase One of this expansion plan, which has been almost 20 years in the making.