Less traffic volume sees pros and cons in Oshawa
By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express
Oshawa has been seeing less traffic during COVID-19, and staff at Durham Region say this is making things easier – and more difficult – for road work.
According to Durham’s Director of Transportation and Field Services Ramesh Jagannathan, the region’s office workers are currently working from home, but those who work outside are still working away.
“All road maintenance, watermain breaks, none of those things seem to stop when there’s COVID-19,” says Jagannathan.
Jagannathan points out the region is still seeing a “steady diet” of projects in 2020.
“We are noticing traffic volumes are as low as 50 per cent…, on the brighter side our number of collisions have come down significantly as opposed to last March, so that’s a blessing in disguise.”
Jagannathan singles out three projects taking place in Oshawa, one of which is the widening of Simcoe Street from Conlin Road to Winchester Road. He says the road will become a four lane road, and new signals will be installed at locations like Northern Dancer Drive, which the community has been asking for for a long time.
“We have just awarded the project, and I’m hoping to have that mobilized sometime within the next month,” he says.
Jagannathan also takes note of two widening projects on Harmony Road. One is from Rossland Road to Taunton Road, and the other is from Coldstream Drive to Conlin Road. Both projects will start in May or June.
“These are three of the most significant road projects in Oshawa, which I’m expecting to get started in the summer,” says Jagannathan, adding he hopes to get more production out of his workers, but notes there may be some problems.
“Anyone working on site in the trailer and so on, they all have to strictly adhere to the codes of guidance in terms of social distancing, sanitization, which means they may have to split crews,” he says.
He also points out traffic volumes are low, the traffic control is going to be there, and it will be much easier.
“But on the other hand, it’s going to be more sensitive to social distancing, and so on. So there’s a plus and a minus [to clearer roads],” says Jagannathan.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Jagannathan points out things at the region are almost “business as usual.”
“I wouldn’t say business as usual because that wouldn’t be right because a lot of us are working from home, but, it’s business as usual while adapting to the realities of COVID-19.”