City provides updates and timelines on numerous projects happening around Barrie, including Dunlop Street bridge replacement over Highway 400
With excavator tracks clanking and a jackhammer pounding concrete on nearby Owen Street, Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttall held a news conference Thursday afternoon to highlight the spending of at least $100 million in road construction and infrastructure improvements throughout the city.
This year, he says the city is undertaking 27 construction projects, as well as paving 42 kilometres of roadway.
“This work is more than just about concrete and asphalt — it’s about creating safer roads, reducing congestion and preparing for future growth that the city continues to thrive on,” Nuttall told a group of reporters standing next to the Owen Street site.
“We know that the construction can be disruptive, and we want to thank our residents and businesses for their patience and their understanding,” he added.
Nuttall stressed the importance of not falling behind on infrastructure upgrades as each decade passes, and costing more in the long run.
“I think it’s really important as we move forward, that we start to right that infrastructure deficit that’s existed for many years, and that’s what we’re trying to address,” he told BarrieToday after the announcement.
In a release, the city listed the major road construction projects starting soon, currently happening or wrapping up in Barrie. Those include:
- Bayview Drive transportation improvement: Construction work continues this year on Bayview Drive, between Little Avenue and Big Bay Point Road, including lane widening, infrastructure replacements, new bike lanes and a new sidewalk. The city says the project remains on track for completion in 2026.
- Duckworth Street improvements & Grove Street East watermain: Construction is nearing completion for this multi-year project, with finishing touches underway. This project provides a new watermain, sewer replacements, new sidewalks, new pavement, intersection upgrades and road widening.
- Dunlop Street bridge replacement: The city says preparations are progressing for this multi-year initiative, led by the Ministry of Transportation. This project will include a full bridge replacement and interchange reconfiguration at Highway 400 and is expected to take approximately four years to complete.
- Eugenia Street reconstruction & Wellington D1 neighbourhood reconstruction program: The city says this neighbourhood project is well underway and replaces aging underground infrastructure, deteriorating roads, and expands the water network to support future growth. It is on track for completion in 2026.
- Essa Road interchange and Highway 400 overpass replacement: The city says this Ministry of Transportation project is nearing completion with a widened road and a new highway overpass. These improvements will enhance traffic flow in the south end and enhance safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Completion is expected by the end of 2025.
- Huronia Road transportation improvements & trunk sanitary sewer: The city says preparations are underway for major transportation and infrastructure upgrades along Huronia Road. This project will widen the corridor and add a new trunk sanitary sewer between Lockhart Road and the southern city limit. Early work has begun, with full construction expected to ramp up later this summer.
- Mapleview Drive East transportation improvements: The stretch between Yonge Street and Prince William Way is being widened to four lanes, with new multi-use trails added on both sides. As a key transportation corridor, the city says these upgrades will support Barrie’s growth and make it easier for everyone to move through the east end. Completion is expected by the spring of 2028.
- Queens Park A1 neighbourhood reconstruction program: In the Queens Park neighbourhood, work continues to replace some of Barrie’s oldest infrastructure and includes road upgrades, new underground services and the relocation of the Sophia Creek culvert. Completion is expected in 2026
- Sophia trunk storm sewers (Owen and Sophia streets): This multi-year upgrade along Owen Street and Sophia Street East will help reduce the risk of flooding downtown by replacing aging stormwater infrastructure. Construction will continue in phases until the summer of 2027, with road closures shifting as the work progresses.
The city also noted several road resurfacing projects will also be completed this year to proactively prevent deterioration and costly repairs. Visit the city’s pavement management program page for updates on resurfacing projects.
For more information on municipal infrastructure projects and to access an interactive map of 2025 road construction projects, visit barrie.ca/roadwork.
