The team is working hard to get the next two lanes of the bridge open in November. The most recent concrete surface has been poured and construction continues to get the structure ready.

There will be a delineation between the two directions of traffic with a concrete median. This was installed during the first phase of building the bridge.

Photos of the recent bridgework can be found here: June 2026 – County Road 43 – Widening Project.

There is currently a lot happening under the bridge but we can assure residents there will be accessible fishing areas under the bridge.

There will be six roundabouts at the completion of the project (this includes Colonnade and County Road 19). For pedestrian safety, the roundabouts will have flashing pedestrian-controlled lights installed.

Work on the Colonnade roundabout will begin with apron construction starting as early as next week (August 10^th). Traffic will be shifted to the south side while crews complete grading and curb preparation on the north side, then switched to allow work on the south side.

The goal is to complete all concrete work and the first layer of paving by fall, with the final layer of paving scheduled for next year. Traffic management will require phased shifts between north and south sides, and advance notice will be provided to minimize disruption.

Construction on the roundabout going in front of the Stinson and Kemptville Retirement Living will begin once more of the bridge is completed to be able to tie in the road. Anticipated start is late September or early October.

Pedestrian crossing lights at the roundabout are designed to activate (by button or motion sensor) and flash across the entire crossing (not just a single lane) to better alert drivers. This change was made early on to improve visibility and safety, ensuring drivers from all directions can clearly see when pedestrians are crossing. Additional activators are also located in the median.

While some crossings are positioned close to exits, their placement reflects both safety considerations and site constraints. The crossings include slight angles or “jogs” to orient pedestrians toward oncoming traffic for better visibility. Because this was a retrofit project, existing buildings and entrances limited placement options, so crossings were positioned as safely as possible within the available space.

On the west side, you will notice remaining barrels. Another lift of asphalt needs to be laid before we can get the lines and symbols painted. You can look forward to the new lines in the fall.

The medians were designed to be as wide as possible primarily to support tree health and longevity. The added width helps protect trees from traffic and reduces exposure to salt from snow plowing. Standard lane widths were maintained, with remaining space allocated to maximize the median size.

Most of the landscaping on the west side of the bridge is in its final stages. This work is being carried out by Tomlinson. With more maintenance required on County Road 43 now, a new agreement between the county and the municipality is required and is currently under discussion for this work, including landscaping.

The landscape design incorporates hardy grass, shrub, and tree species selected for their overall tolerance and to support long-term establishment. Given the proximity of these plantings to the roadway and their exposure to winter maintenance operations and other routine road maintenance activities, plant survival cannot be guaranteed. A two-year maintenance contract is in place for the landscaped areas, including monitoring, maintenance, and replacement of any trees or shrubs that do not survive during that period.

Hydroseeding has also taken place in larger areas like the location around Centex. Hydroseeding is used in larger areas because it provides fast, even seed coverage. It’s effective because it applies seed, mulch, fertilizer and water together in a slurry which helps the seeds establish more quickly and evenly. It’s also typically less expensive than sod.

The pathway needed to be removed to accommodate the work being done with the road expansion. Pedestrian safety and accessibility are a priority and that pathway will be put back in, with a 1.5 metre distance between the curb and the pathway to accommodate for things like snow plowing. Along with the remaining curb repairs, we anticipate this work will be done before the beginning of this school year, September 2026.

County Road 19 south to Ryan’s Well is expected to have a sidewalk on the west side to provide safe passage for those walking in that area.

Safety is of the upmost importance during remaining construction and beyond. We understand it may take drivers and pedestrians time to get used to crossing at a roundabout and all parties involved in this project recognize the risk in this particular area. The municipality has reinstated a crossing guard at the junction for the 2026/27 school year.  

There will be adequate lighting on both sides of the roadway for pedestrians and traffic to travel safely at night. The construction team is currently working with Hydro to get lighting in where it’s possible. There is some remaining roadwork that needs to be done in some areas before the remaining lights can be installed and turned on. Work is being done to have the road better illuminated this coming fall.

The lanes down County Road 43 are standard width at 3.5 metre wide and will allow two cars to comfortably and slowly navigate. Aprons have been poured surrounding the roundabouts to accommodate bigger vehicles who have a larger turning radius. This allows them to have extra room around the turns in the roundabout.

A four-lane expansion toward Precision Drive is not part of any current plan. However, an expansion up to Somerville Road is a possibility with the residential density we’re seeing in our community. The timing is still to be determined. In the meantime, we do expect to have more intersection controls at Sommerville in the short term. We will share those details as they become available.

The speed limit will be 50km/hr for the entirety of the project area.

The watermain in front of the Shoppers Drug Mart was undersized for the growth we’ve been experiencing. We’ve upgraded that to a more substantial size to accommodate. The sanitary line supporting the businesses on the south side of county road 43 (west side of the bridge) has also been replaced due to its age and deterioration.

Public Works has also included an additional force main crossing at Anniversary Way so that a future force main can be put in to help support the pump station for downtown growth. Along with this, a new force main was constructed on the east side of the bridge running from our sanitary pump station on Ryan’s Well Drive to the Water Pollution Control Plant. This new forcemain was installed to accommodate growth east of the Kemptville Creek.

The next steps include completing final paving and line painting west of the bridge, along with landscaping and other finishing work. The Colonnade roundabout will also be expanded, which will temporarily affect traffic in the area. During this phase, left turns into the Colonnade commercial area from westbound traffic will be unavailable for a period of time. Advance notice will be provided before this work begins, and residents are reminded that local businesses will remain open and accessible throughout construction.

The anticipated completion of the County Road 43 expansion project is July 2027.