Donald Cousens Parkway

Donald Cousens Parkway
Route information
Existed:	2006[citation needed] – present
Major junctions
South end:	Steeles Avenue East at the Toronto–York boundary
	Highway 407 Discontinuous from Copper Creek Drive to Box Grove Bypass
North end:	Regional Road 25 (Major Mackenzie Drive)
Location
Major cities:	Markham (Cornell; Box Grove)
Highway system
County roads in Ontario

Donald Cousens Parkway, regionally designated as York Regional Road 48 and historically known as the Markham Bypass or Markham Bypass Extension, is a regionally maintained arterial bypass of Markham in the Canadian province of Ontario. The route now begins at Copper Creek Drive in Box Grove, south of Highway 407, and travels north to Major Mackenzie Drive (York Regional Road 25). However, it is currently being extended south to meet with the Box Grove Bypass, after which the Donald Cousens Parkway name will be applied south to Steeles Avenue East at the Toronto–York boundary. The route is named for former Markham mayor Don Cousens.

Donald Cousens Parkway and the future connection with Morningside Avenue form the East Metro Transportation Corridor, originally envisioned as a six lane municipal expressway during the 1970s. During the mid-1990s, the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) conducted studies and identified the need for the corridor by 2011. Although York had intended for a continuous alignment, the City of Toronto has opposed the direct connection between Morningside and Donald Cousens Parkway.

Construction of the route began in 2002 north of 16th Avenue. In 2004, an interchange with Highway 407 was constructed; it opened along with a connection to Highway 7 in 2005.

Route description

Portions of YRR48 are still under construction, extending it southward from Highway 407 to York Regional Road 69 later in 2008, forming the outline of the community Box Grove. A northern section of the YRR48 is planned from YRR25 to Highway 48, its completion will result in the decommissioning of the provincial designation Highway 48 between YRR25 and YRR48, thus making Highway 48/YRR48 a continuous route.

YRR48 is intended to relieve north-south traffic congestion on York Regional Road 68 and York Regional Road 69 (Ninth Line), with signage suggesting that drivers to use YRR48 as alternate route. The road is also responsible for the rapid growth of the new community of Cornell.

The portion of completed road is paved with two lanes per direction, with a grass median divider. Between York Regional Road 73 and Highway 7, YRR48 runs right next to Reesor Road, which will be retained as a two-lane rural road.

History

The history of Donald Cousens Parkway dates back to the 1970s, when Metropolitan Toronto and the Department of Highways (now the MTO) planned out the East Metro Transportation Corridor. This corridor was originally envisioned as a six lane expressway connecting Highway 401 with the planned but unbuilt Highway 407. However, the drive for expressway construction faded through the 1970s and 1980s as a result of opposition and the resulting cancellation of the Toronto expressway network. Studies nonetheless continued to be performed confirming the need for the route.^[1]

During 1994 and 1995, the MTO conducted two studies termed the Morningside Transportation Corridor Review. While the study once again confirmed the need for the route, it also suggested that while an expressway was the ideal solution, an arterial road would be the practical solution. It also suggested that the road be a municipal road, rather than a provincial one. In 1997, the Environmental Assessment for the Markham By-pass extension was completed, approving construction of an interchange at the future Highway 407 (then open only as far as Highway 404^[2]) and a divided roadway north from there to Major Mackenzie Drive.^[3]

Construction on the two lane section between 16th Avenue and Major Mackenzie Drive, connecting with the north end of the Old Markham By-pass, began in 2002,^[3] and was completed by the end of 2004.^[4] Construction of the interchange at Highway 407 began in 2004^[5] and completed by the end of the year; the four lane section from that interchange north to Highway 7 opened on December 17, 2004.^[4] In 2005, construction began on the third phase of the bypass,^[4] connecting the southern segment at Highway 7 with the northern segment north of 16th Avenue. This four lane section opened on October 24, 2006.^[6] The two lane road between this new section and 16th Avenue was subsequently closed and removed.

On October 19, 2006, York Regional Council decided to rename the new Markham By-pass to honour the work of mayor Don Cousens. Following this decision, a report was prepared outlining the costs; it was presented to council on February 22, 2007,^[7] and a bylaw enacted. The name change became effective on April 1, 2007.^[8]

Future

The original intention of the Markham Bypass was to link to Highway 401 via the Morningside Avenue extension. York Region wished for the connection between the bypass and Morningside to be continuous, meeting Steeles Avenue west of its intersection with Ninth Line. However, Toronto has thus far resisted the pressure from York Region to utilize the continuous alignment, citing the environmental effects that will come of two new crossings over the Rouge River.^[9] As such, a discontinuous alignment is likely, with Donald Cousens Parkway ending at the current Steeles Avenue / Ninth Line intersection, the two lane Steeles being widened to six west of that point, and Morningside meeting Steeles immediately east of Eastvale Drive.^[10]

References

1. ^ http://www.dcptomorningsidelink.ca/pdf/Final%20EA%20Report/5016%20EA%20Report%20Amendment%20CHAPTER%201%20%20Jul%202011.pdf
2. ^ Mitchell, Bob (June 6, 1997). "At Last — Opening Bell Tolls for the 407". The Toronto Star: pp. A1, A6. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Transportation Improvements Donald Cousens Parkway to Morningside Avenue Link (December 2005). Chapter 4. p. 4-74. Accessed on September 16, 2011.
4. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.york.ca/Publications/News/2004/December+17%2c+2004%2c+York+Region+commuters+have+another+option+with+the+opening+of+the+Markham+Bypass.htm
5. ^ [http://www.dcptomorningsidelink.ca/pdf/Final%20EA%20Report/5016%20EA%20Report%20Amendment%20CHAPTER%201%20%20Jul%202011.pdf Transportation Improvements Donald Cousens Parkway to Morningside Avenue Link] (December 2005). Chapter 1. p. 1-9. Accessed on September 16, 2011.
6. ^ http://www.york.ca/Publications/News/2006/October+24,+2006+The+Regional+Municipality+of+York+opens+third+phase+of+Markham+Bypass.htm
7. ^ http://www.york.ca/NR/rdonlyres/wadt5ipgccvtht6d5bkmltvgh47su6ljuenjt3svbuxdbqzpdvjjetuawqo6bkewhm4fvtazzv3qhs5mjsjxybi4if/rpt+2+cls+2.pdf
8. ^ http://www.york.ca/NR/rdonlyres/khxn53f5r5bv6fdwapr53nylcjqls5crqbjrqjf37rpw5fwt5b6pmmrhha45qgym3egjvfikow6ngyrhc3g5ev2kee/Bill+22.pdf
9. ^ Contents
10. ^ http://www.dcptomorningsidelink.ca/pdf/EA%20Addendum%20PCC%20Notice.pdf