City advising of traffic impacts in advance of Highway 403 closures this weekend

HAMILTON, ON – The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is completing rehabilitation work along Highway 403 at the Macklin St overpass and the Old Guelph Rd overpass, and will be closing a portion of the westbound 403 between Highway 6 and King St W beginning Friday, September 30 at 11 pm until Monday, October 3, 2022 at 5 am. Entrance ramps from Highway 6 to Highway 403, Highway 403 to York Blvd and Highway 403 to Main St W will also be closed. During this time, motorists should expect traffic delays along adjacent arterial roads such as Main St and King St and the surrounding lower City.

The planned MTO bridge rehabilitation work includes:

• Removal and replacement of existing asphalt and waterproofing;
• Removal of select deteriorating concrete in deck;
• Concrete patch repairs on deck, soffit, and fascia;
• Crack injection on barriers and abutment walls;
• Replacement of a 4 m section of concrete centre median on the Old Guelph Road structure;
• Repaving of Macklin Street (underneath Highway 403) within the MTO right-of-way.

As a result of this closure, road users from the highway will be detouring along the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) using the Lincoln M. Alexander Parkway (LINC). Motorists travelling on the westbound Highway 403 will be detoured onto Highway 6. Motorists should follow signs for the detour and motorists travelling through the downtown area should allow extra travel time as additional traffic is expected.

Passengers travelling along HSR routes 5 Delaware, 6 Aberdeen, 7 Locke, 8 York, 9 Rock Gardens, 10 B-Line, 11 Parkdale, 51 University or using myRide on-demand in Waterdown may experience delays due to traffic. Customers are advised to leave extra time for travel.

The MTO has reviewed multiple construction staging and closure scenarios, in coordination with the City of Hamilton, in order to reduce the traffic impacts and the City has worked to modify signal timing in the downtown core during this closure to reduce traffic impacts. City crews will be placing Local Traffic Only signage on a few of the residential side streets adjoining to York Blvd in an attempt to reduce cut-through vehicles.

The City thanks motorists for their patience as the MTO completes these infrastructure improvements.