St. Catharines Downtown Association

Drivers can look forward to travelling in both directions along the entire length of downtown's main route by the summer, if city plans move ahead on schedule.

The conversion of the last little section of St. Paul Street to two-way traffic is planned for mid to late June.

A small section of King Street, between Court Street and Carlisle Street, should also be completed at that time.

"It will be a one-shot deal," said city transportation manager Kris Jacobson. "The same day we open up one, we'll open up the other."

The city had hoped to convert the last piece of St. Paul Street, from Geneva to Court streets, last fall, allowing drivers to travel west, but it didn't pan out. The plan was to finish St. Paul Street at the same time as King Street, but that project went longer than anticipated.

Jacobson said the top asphalt on King Street still has to be put down this spring.

The section of King between Church and Court streets will remain one-way because of issues tied in with the St. Paul- Queenston-Niagara-Geneva intersection. Jacobson said traffic can't go along King and Church to Geneva Street until alternatives are found for the intersection, which the city is looking at with the Region. "Until that's resolved, I can't carry it further."

Once two-way is finished on St. Paul Street, southbound drivers on Geneva Street will be able to turn right onto St. Paul and continue down the entire artery. Northbound drivers won't be allowed to turn left because of the intersection's layout.

"If you were to turn left northbound, the turn you'd have to make is beyond 90 degrees," Jacobson said. "It would be a very awkward left turn to make."

Plus, the left northbound lane of Geneva is the only lane for through traffic, so making lefts would stop all traffic, he said.

Please see full story in The St. Catharines Standard at:

http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2493346