Tiffin Street/Highway 400 Underpass Expansion:
November CPD Project of the Month
Opened in 1952, Highway 400 quickly became one of Ontario’s busiest provincial motorways. Stretching northward from Toronto for over 226 kilometres, Highway 400 has seen a massive surge in use from daily commuter traffic to and from Toronto, year-round tourism into cottage and ski country, and local pleasure seekers escaping the urban landscape.
Residential and commercial development has also flourished in communities adjacent to the highway, including the city of Barrie, located approximately 75 kilometres north of Toronto. Over the last half-century, increased volume and inclement weather have taken a toll on the highway underpasses that span Barrie’s busy streets. To address this issue, Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation formulated a plan to fix the crumbling infrastructure while looking ahead to future local growth.
Project: Tiffin Street Underpass Expansion
Part of the overall project was to replace the existing six-lane Highway 400 underpass structure at Tiffin Street in Barrie. This bridge was nearing the end of its service lifespan and was no longer an adequate size to handle Tiffin Street’s current or future traffic volume.
The newly planned bridge structure will increase the vertical clearance for Tiffin Street and provide an increased opening span that will allow for flexible future traffic use.
Contractor: Dufferin Construction
When the time came to get started, the Ministry of Transportation hired Dufferin Construction to lead the construction of the underpass.
Dufferin Construction was founded in 1912 by a young Italian immigrant named James F. Franceschini, who started his construction career by digging basements in Toronto for 15 cents per hour. Under his leadership, the company grew to become a leader in transportation infrastructure by working on such projects as the TransCanada Highway, Alaskan Highway, and Dundas Highway.
A market leader like Dufferin Construction knows where to turn for products that deliver the best results for their projects. Our customer service specialists at CPD® Construction Products didn’t disappoint.
CPD Construction Product Used
Highway 400 is a multi-lane freeway that is subject to heavy-duty use from everything, from small cars to transport trucks. It’s also exposed to almost every type of weather possible, including high heat and humidity, sub-zero freezing, heavy seasonal rains, and heavy snow.
To help the new bridge withstand these and other pressures, we recommended the contractor use Evacon Expansion Joint.
Evacon Expansion Joint
This Copolymer foam is a closed-cell, cross-linked product that has been specially formulated as an expansion/construction waterproof joint material, suitable for use in both new construction and rehabilitation projects.
When used on the sealing joints of a bridge, parking deck, building, or other structures, Evacon Expansion Joint provides excellent durability against wear, and won’t degrade even under the harshest weather conditions.
Project Outcome
Construction of the underpass is scheduled to be completed in October 2018. At that time, Tiffin Street will be wider to accommodate future traffic volume to and from downtown Barrie, and give motorists on Highway 400 a better driving experience with a brand new bridge.
