Waterloo Region may still be battling through the cold winter weather, but regional staff already have construction season top of mind, beginning preparations for a list of upgrades coming to Fischer-Hallman Road in Kitchener.
“Preparations are underway to expand and update Fischer Hallman this spring,” said the Region of Waterloo in a release. “The Region’s reconstruction project will widen this busy Kitchener road from two to four lanes between Bleams Road and Plains Road.”
It said that other improvements will include a raised centre median, new street lighting and bus stop pads, installing underground water and sewer infrastructure, as well as new multi-use paths on each side of the road for both pedestrian and cyclist use.
While shovels can’t be put in the cold ground just yet, the region said it had already begun work to acquire and prepare the lands needed for the expansion, impacting as many as 14 different properties.
In terms of the budget, the project is expected to cost $9,377,000 for 2026, as well as $5,345,000 across 2027 and 2028, set to be funded from the Roads Regional Development Charges Reserve Fund.
“This is the final phase of reconstruction after the Region finished earlier work in 2021 and 2024,” the region said.
The upgrades are set to impact one of the busier stretches of Fischer-Hallman, which has already seen a slew of issues so far throughout the winter months, including a crash involving a pedestrian as recently as Jan. 23.
While the project itself has been on the go for a few years, pen was first put to paper on the plans almost a decade ago, in March of 2016.
The Fischer-Hallman project is expected to start this coming spring and last throughout 2026 and a majority of 2027, expected to wrap up in the fall, barring any construction delays throughout the course of the development.