After 25 Years Maley Drive Extension Construction Begins

By: Nick Liard

The shovels are in the ground after 25 years of planning and waiting on the Maley Drive Extension project.

Phase One of the project, which was funded by three levels of government for 80 million dollars, is expected to be complete by 2019.

General Manager of Infrastructure Services, Tony Cecutti says Phase One is broken down into three contracts, the first is an interchange over Notre Dame Avenue.

Work will go through the Winter and the interchange is expected to be completed by 2017.

From there, two contracts worth over 20 million dollars each will be tendered for the road built to the East and West.

Cecutti says he understands there are still some who feel given the city’s infrastructure debt, this project should not happen.

He hopes that once it is built people can then see what it will mean to the city.

The Maley Drive Extension will connect Lasalle Blvd West to Falconbridge Highway, include a new four lane road from Lasalle to Barry Downe, realignment of Notre Dame Avenue and rehabilitation of current Maley Drive.

It’s expected to create 780 jobs, save 457,000 hours in time for drivers and generate 135 million dollars in economic activity for Sudbury.