Rutherford Road

• Widened Rutherford Road’s eastbound lanes from Rotational Drive to Keele Street
• Upgraded and improved intersections with exclusive left-turn lanes
• Installed new sidewalks and cycle tracks 
• Replaced three culverts, including a six-metre box culvert west of Greenock Drive

Culvert Replacement

• Unanticipated poor soil was encountered at one of the culverts at the creek crossing of Rutherford Road between Greenock Drive and Tesma Way. Removal of a portion of the poor-quality soil and additional support of the culvert was required
• Inclement weather and heavy rainfall delayed work, as crews were not able to complete the necessary foundation work until water levels in the creek receded and fish were not in the work zone

CN Bridge Replacement

• Widening the bridge over the railway tracks is subject to the Canadian National (CN) Railway operating rules. This creates an added level of complexity while working in close proximity to the tracks, and maintaining railway traffic at one of the busiest rail yards in North America
• Staff continue to work with CN Rail on construction options that can expedite the work; timing for this work is to be determined 
• The CN Rail MacMillian Yard is one of the largest and busiest multimodal transportation facilities in North America with 24/7 year-round operations; continuous train operations and associated restrictions have not allowed the work to progress as expected

There is no night work currently scheduled at this time.

There is another road project happening nearby. York Region is widening and improving Rutherford Road from Peter Rupert Avenue to Bathurst Street. For more information, visit the Vaughan Construction Projects page.

At the end of this project, citizens can look forward to:

• Reduced traffic congestion with two extra lanes of roadway
• A safer commute with rehabilitated roads, upgraded traffic signals that meet Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities (AODA) standards, and enhanced roadway illumination
• A connected transportation network for cyclists
• A new sidewalk on the north side of Rutherford Road, between Jane Street and Springside Road
• Upgraded traffic signals and enhanced roadway illumination 
• Travellers will also get rehabilitated roads, ensuring a safer commute for all road users

A culvert is a tunnel or crossing located under a road. It can be built to transport either water, people or animals.

York Region conducts routine inspections of its infrastructure. Through ongoing inspections, it has been determined two culverts need to be replaced and two need to be extended to support the widened roadway and to ensure safe travel on Rutherford Road.

• Four lanes are being maintained throughout the construction period during peak travel hours. To achieve this, lane width reductions will be in place and speed has been temporarily reduced in the construction area
• Lane reductions may be required to facilitate CN Railway bridge construction, intersection, and culvert work between 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
• Traffic lanes will be shifting throughout construction during off-peak and peak hours
• Extended lane closure hours may be required to construct portions of the roadway safely 
• York Region will provide advance notice whenever possible

Night work may be required between 9 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. to facilitate paving the roadway and pavement markings, storm sewer and culvert road crossing work, and CN Railway bridge construction.

Work may be required on the weekends to expedite the construction work.

Work may be required on statutory holidays to expedite the construction work.

Pedestrian access will be maintained on a minimum of one side of the road at all times. The existing sidewalk is discontinuous on Rutherford Road between Creditstone Road and Jane Street.

There are no existing bicycle facilities on Rutherford Road. Cyclists are to use the roadway in accordance with the Highway Traffic Act and/or boulevard(s) in accordance with Local By-laws.

To submit a comment, question or for more information, please contact @email
or call 1-877-464-9675.

• York Regional Council continues to invest and make transportation improvements a priority, outlined in the 10-year Roads and Transit Capital Construction Program
• Roads are identified for improvements for a variety of reasons including enhancing safety for pedestrians and cyclists, managing assets in a state of good repair and improving traffic flow to accommodate population growth by adding new lanes or creating new roads
• To support the growing communities in Vaughan, construction is planned for over 20 locations in the next five years. These projects will include:
  • Road reconstruction and widening
  • New transit terminal connecting to the new Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital
  • Intersection upgrades and improvements to enhance traffic operations
  • Pavement repair, preservation and rehabilitation
• As York Region’s population and businesses grow, public roads are accommodating more travellers, goods and services
  • Vaughan’s population is forecasted to grow from 316,000 in 2016 to 497,400 by 2041
  • Vaughan’s employment is forecasted to grow from 209,200 jobs in 2016 to 321,500 jobs by 2041
  • The travel growth in the area (daily trips to and from Vaughan) is forecasted to grow from 895,400 in 2016 to 1,315,700 by 2041, an 47% increase
• By expanding or upgrading infrastructure, we are ensuring we meet the needs of our growing communities now, rather than waiting until we run out of capacity

• York Region has a 10-year Roads and Transit Capital Construction Program which outlines infrastructure projects across the Region. Capital projects are undertaken to improve the community for all York Region residents
• While serving growth remains important, capital spending also focuses on asset management to extend the life of assets, such as roads and bridges, and reduce total costs over their life cycle. Over the next 10 years, $1.4 billion will go to rehabilitating and replacing existing assets. These investments help ensure that assets are in a state of good repair for current and future residents
• The Region and the City of Vaughan are investing in transportation improvements over the next five years to support the record growth in the area, the construction being completed by our partners and to maintain our roads in a state of good repair
  • Infrastructure being constructed by the Region and our partners includes:
    • Road widening and York Region Transit (YRT) bus terminal construction on Major Mackenzie Drive, from Highway 400 to Jane Street, with a direct benefit to the newly constructed Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital
    • Installation of water, wastewater and telecom infrastructure and planting street trees as part of road construction projects
• The Region is addressing the growing needs of City of Vaughan residents, businesses and the travelling public, as traffic congestion is identified as the number one public concern in Vaughan
• To maximize as much work as possible, the majority of construction projects are completed in the warmer months when the ground is not frozen and temperatures for mixing and laying asphalt is ideal and traffic volumes are lower

Whenever possible, York Region coordinates with the City of Vaughan, developers, utility companies, Environmental Services and other agency infrastructure programs, including the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO), Metrolinx, rail authorities, York Region Rapid Transit Corporation and York Telecom Network (YTN), when planning construction projects within the Region. Effective coordination may result in financial benefits and can help minimize impacting the public multiple times and reducing disruption to travellers

Due to the complexity and timing requirements of certain projects, it is sometimes not possible to avoid construction on adjacent or parallel roads

• To help travellers plan ahead during road construction, we install advance signage, post messages on social media and our website, and distribute notices
• Travellers are encouraged to use traffic and navigation tools. York Region provides real-time traffic and road information in open data, used by many apps
• Find us on social media: @YorkRegionGovt

Dependent on the section of road, you may not see workers because:

• Work is happening below the road elevation and work is away from driver line of sight at road level; at the CN bridge, work is currently at track level and at the culvert, work is at the watercourse level
• Work may not be happening on certain days due to inclement weather and even after the weather event, for example after a heavy rainfall, the contractor needs to wait until water recedes and things get dry 
• Work may be happening at one end of the road and no work somewhere else due to scheduling of work activities/sub-contractors or sequencing of activities, for example waiting for concrete to cure