Albert Street Watermain and Road Improvement

The section of Albert Street from Longwood to Weber is currently being reviewed and considered in the 2024-2027 budget process. We are aware of the concerns raised here and are actively working on solutions.

There have been a few inquiries about the bike lanes and no right turn on red signs on Albert Street. Many of the cycling projects in the City's Transportation Master Plan were identified to receive separated cycling facilities, including Albert Street. The planning and design of the watermain replacement on Albert Street was an opportunity to address active user needs in the area including the addition of separated cycling lanes, pedestrian islands, new and improved transit stops and improved crossings at a number of intersections. This specific route makes cycling connections to the existing multi-use-paths on Weber Street, the off-road Waterloop multi-use-trail system, as well as the multi-use-paths constructed recently on Phillip Street (which also connects users to LRT stations and the Transit Hub located adjacent the University of Waterloo main campus).  

The cycling lanes and their signs have been added in anticipation of increased use as other cycling connections continue to be made. The introduction of No Right Turn on Red signs is consistent with provincial guidelines, and these signs are becoming more widely used around the City and the Region.  

Route 19 has now resumed its normal operations. Thank you for your patience with us, the Region and the GRT as we all worked together to get back to the normal route with the normal stop locations.

Thank you for your question. Throughout the construction project we have maintained constant communication with GRT. Based on the Albert and Weber schedules, we are expecting to have GRT running on normal routes in the area before the end of November. Currently, Weber (a Region of Waterloo project) is scheduled to reopen by the end of this week, and Albert (our project) will be closing Phillip and Hazel intersections for paving for three days on or near Nov 14-16. Once this work is done, we expect GRT service to resume normal operations.

All of the dates above are subject to change due to weather, unexpected conditions, as well as labour and material availability. Thank you for your patience.

Weber Street (a Region of Waterloo project) is currently scheduled to be reopened by the end of next week, November 11. Albert Street from Phillip to Columbia is scheduled to be paved the week of November 7. The intersections of Hazel at Albert and Phillip at Albert cannot be closed for paving until Weber Street is reopened, so we tentatively have the paving of these two intersections and the road between them for November 14 to 16, subject to change based on weather and labour availability.

We understand the road closures have been disruptive and a challenge, and that the Weber closure has gone on much longer than the Region expected. These delays have in turn impacted the Albert Street schedule. We are nearing completion of the Albert Street project and need a few more weeks to finish things up. Thank you for your continued patience as we finish this large city project.

Weber Street is a Region of Waterloo project and is currently scheduled to be reopened by the end of next week, November 11. Albert Street from Phillip to Columbia is scheduled to be paved the week of November 7. The intersections of Hazel at Albert and Phillip at Albert cannot be closed for paving until Weber Street is reopened, so we tentatively have the paving of these two intersections and the road between them for November 14 to 16, subject to change based on weather and labour availability.

We understand the road closures have been disruptive and a challenge, and that the Weber closure has gone on much longer than the Region expected. These delays have in turn impacted the Albert Street schedule. We are nearing completion of the Albert Street project and need a few more weeks to finish things up. Thank you for your continued patience as we finish this large city project.

Thank you for your question. Weber Street is expected to reopen near the end of October, and Albert Street is expected to reopen in stages through October and November. We are coordinating with Grand River Transit to reinstate regular bus service as soon as road openings make it possible.

Thank you for posting your question. During the initial investigations, it became clear the traffic needs of Albert Street do not and will not necessitate four lanes of vehicle traffic. A 2-lane roadway with appropriate turn lanes can accommodate 20,000+ vehicles per day. A 4 lane roadway considerably more. In 2021, traffic volumes were less than 6,000 per day. To ensure adequate vehicle movement, turn lanes are included in the design at all signalized intersections and other locations where appropriate – this includes and accounts for the planned development at Quiet Place. In addition to the low traffic volumes, traffic speeds were high – upwards of 70km/h. This street was identified as a need for separated cycling per the Transportation Master Plan to connect to existing and other planned cycling infrastructure in the area. The work being completed now will provide for and encourage people to use alternate modes of transportation, such as transit, bicycles and walking, as the area will be much safer and they will be physically separated from the vehicles on the road. We expect total people movement on Albert St will be positively impacted by the new roadway.  

Thank you for posting your question. During the initial investigations, it became clear the traffic needs of Albert Street do not and will not necessitate four lanes of vehicle traffic. A 2-lane roadway with appropriate turn lanes can accommodate 20,000+ vehicles per day. A 4 lane roadway considerably more. In 2021, traffic volumes were less than 6,000 per day. To ensure adequate vehicle movement, turn lanes are included in the design at all signalized intersections and other locations where appropriate – this includes and accounts for the planned development at Quiet Place. In addition to the low traffic volumes, traffic speeds were high – upwards of 70km/h. This street was identified as a need for separated cycling per the Transportation Master Plan to connect to existing and other planned cycling infrastructure in the area. The work being completed now will provide for and encourage people to use alternate modes of transportation, such as transit, bicycles and walking, as the area will be much safer and they will be physically separated from the vehicles on the road. We expect total people movement on Albert St will be positively impacted by the new roadway.  

Thank you for posting your question. During the initial investigations, it became clear the traffic needs of Albert Street do not and will not necessitate four lanes of vehicle traffic. A 2-lane roadway with appropriate turn lanes can accommodate 20,000+ vehicles per day. A 4 lane roadway considerably more. In 2021, traffic volumes were less than 6,000 per day. To ensure adequate vehicle movement, turn lanes are included in the design at all signalized intersections and other locations where appropriate – this includes and accounts for the planned development at Quiet Place. In addition to the low traffic volumes, traffic speeds were high – upwards of 70km/h. This street was identified as a need for separated cycling per the Transportation Master Plan to connect to existing and other planned cycling infrastructure in the area. The work being completed now will provide for and encourage people to use alternate modes of transportation, such as transit, bicycles and walking, as the area will be much safer and they will be physically separated from the vehicles on the road. We expect total people movement on Albert St will be positively impacted by the new roadway.