Hello Ward 8 Neighbours,
As of July 6th, the southbound (upbound) lanes of the Claremont Access will be closed until at least November, as it undergoes a long awaited facelift which will give residents of this city their first multi-modal connection between the lower city and Hamilton Mountain, including a long-awaited multi-use trail.
For more details, please continue reading below…
The Claremont redesign started with a study conducted in 2017 to develop a functional design for a multi-use trail along the Claremont Access.
Part of the process for that study included a Public Meeting in mid-August 2016, which can be found on the City’s Website.
The name Keddy Access Trail, which has been formally ratified as the trail’s name by council, is in honour of Jay Keddy, an elementary school teacher who was struck and killed while cycling up the Claremont Access in December of 2015 in the early evening. In 2018, community members put forward an online petition asking for the trail to be named in honour of Mr. Keddy.
The nearly $6 million project, which includes road resurfacing, will see the trail run from Hunter Street up the Mountain where it will veer to the west along the West 5th ramp, ultimately ending at Mohawk College. The trail will be separated from vehicle traffic by a concrete barrier.
80% of the multi-use trail is paid for by a Provincial grant (click the link below for further details.
The City of Hamilton has created a multi-use website explaining in great detail the upcoming construction project, as well as sharing details, drawings, and plans of the Trail, where it will connect, and new features which will be implemented during this project. The City’s site can be found by clicking here.
PROJECT SUMMARY
The Project includes:
- The resurfacing of the upbound lanes of the Claremont Access between Main Street and Inverness Avenue and the ramp to West 5th Street along the Mountain Brow
- The construction of a multi-use trail network along the same corridor, between Hunter Street and West 5th Street; plus side trail connections at four locations (including an entry point at Hunter Street and Claremont Access):
- West Avenue (near Wellington Street).
- A 300 meter multi-use trail to connect to St Joseph’s Drive
- Two short multi-use trails to connect to the north and south sides of Arkledun Avenue / Jolley Cut
- A multi-use trail to connect to Tanner Street through Southam Park.
- The new side trail connections will be asphalt trails 3 metres wide
PROJECT SCOPE
- The downbound lanes of the Claremont Access will be resurfaced as part of a future project.
- The upbound lanes of the Claremont Access will be resurfaced. As part of the project the vehicular portion will be reduced to 2 lanes to allow for the provision of a multi-use trail which will be separated and protected from vehicles by a new concrete barrier.
- The West 5th Street ramp will be resurfaced. As part of the project the vehicular portion will be reduced to 1 lane to allow for the provision of a multi-use trail which will be separated and protected from vehicles by a new concrete barrier. Where practical, pedestrians will be accommodated with a separate sidewalk.
- Four (4) other side trails will be constructed to connect the multi-use trail to the existing cycling network.
- A new pedestrian/cyclist signal will be provided to permit safe access between the Keddy Access Trail and Southam Park, including an AODA conforming ramp; and the James Street Escarpment stairs.
- Minor bridge deck repairs have been included in the project to minimize disruption and reduce overall costs.
TRAIL NETWORK CONNECTIONS
The new Keddy Access Trail will incorporate five connections to existing road and trail networks – linking the mountain to the lower city.
Hunter Street Entry Point
West Avenue Connection Along Claremont Access
St. Joseph’s Drive Trail Connection along Claremont Access
Arkledun Avenue (Jolley Cut) Connection along Claremont Access
Southam Park Connection along Claremont Access
FUTURE CONNECTIONS & TRAIL NETWORK EXPANSION
The top of the Keddy Access Trail will currently terminate at Inverness Avenue West and West 5th Street.
The top of the Keddy Access Trail is designed to tie into the planned Hamilton Mountain Brow Trail. A feasibility master plan for the Mountain Brow Trail was completed in 2018 and at that time Council committed to a phased twenty year implementation.
The Hamilton Mountain Brow Trail includes connections to Sam Lawrence Park to the east via Inverness Avenue and Belvidere Avenue and Mohawk College and Garth Street in the west via West 5th and Fennell Avenue.
As these connections to existing Ward 8 destinations, cycling and walking routes will be an important part of the success of the Keddy Access Trail, Ward 8 Councillor John-Paul Danko is committed to working with City of Hamilton staff to expedite the portions of the Mountain Brow Trail in Ward 8 as quickly as possible.
At completion, the Hamilton Mountain Brow Trail will provide a continuous and integrated route along the top of the Niagara Escarpment that begins at the Iroquioia Heights Conservation Area in the west and terminates at the Devils Punch Bowl in the east.
MULTI-USE TRAIL DESIGN
The Keddy Access Trail is a signature active transportation project for the City of Hamilton that will provide a continuous route for cyclists and pedestrians to travel between the lower city and the escarpment in a comfortable and efficient way.
The Keddy Access Trail will connect to a variety of destinations and will act as an important network link, making use of the upbound (southbound) side of the Claremont Access.
The portions of the multi-use trail on the Claremont Access are completely separated from traffic by continuous reinforced concrete barrier walls with decorative aluminum railings.
A complete set of the Keddy Access Trail construction drawings are available here.
Due to the complexities of having a shared pedestrian and cyclist multi-use trail on a long, straight, downward grade, a comprehensive road safety audit was conducted to ensure that the trail will be safe for all users.
A copy of the Road Safety Audit for the Keddy Access Trail is available here.
CONSTRUCTION
Construction on the Keddy Access Trail and Claremont Access resurfacing began on Monday July 6th, 2020.
All upbound (southbound) lanes of the Claremont Access will be closed for the duration of the work.
The majority of the work is anticipated to be completed by November 2020 with some components likely to take until December.
Please click the link below for complete details on construction of the Keddy Access Trail and Claremont Access road resurfacing.
Reminder: Southbound Claremont Access Lanes to be closed starting July 6
Questions or concerns?
If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact our office here.
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