Item - 2022.SC30.12

Scarborough Community Council recommends that:  

1. City Council approve the closure of the east sidewalk on McCowan Road, between Sheppard Avenue East and Nugget Avenue, from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2024.

2. City Council direct that the east sidewalk on McCowan Road, between Sheppard Avenue East and Nugget Avenue, be returned to its pre-construction or better condition when the project is completed.

As the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates a transit service on McCowan Road, City Council approval of this report is required.

Metrolinx's contractor Strabag ("the Project Co.") is responsible for designing and building the underground tunnel of the Scarborough Subway Extension (SSE) project. The Project Co. is preparing the tunnel boring machine (TBM) launch site for tunnel excavation, which is planned to commence in April 2022. The TBM launch site is located in the northeast quadrant of Sheppard Avenue East and McCowan Road, with four site accesses on McCowan Road and two site accesses on Sheppard Avenue East.

The excavation operations are expected to generate multiple truck trips (31 truck trips per hour) over 12 hours per day. In coordination with City staff, Metrolinx and the Project Co. have reviewed pedestrian safety on sidewalks adjacent to the site accesses to prevent construction vehicle-pedestrian conflicts. As a result, the east sidewalk on McCowan Road, between Sheppard Avenue East and Nugget Avenue, is recommended to be closed to pedestrian traffic from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2024. In addition, the Project Co. will install appropriate signage at the signalized intersections of McCowan Road at Sheppard Avenue East and McCowan Road and Nugget Avenue to direct pedestrians to the west sidewalk on McCowan Road.

The Project Co. will manage and ensure pedestrian safety on the sidewalk adjacent to the two site accesses on Sheppard Avenue East by using traffic control persons (TCPs) to regulate the inbound and outbound truck movements.