Council Minutes - Town of Cambridge

COUNCIL MINUTES
TUESDAY 20 DECEMBER 2011
DV11.127 PROPOSED LONG TERM HALF ROAD CLOSURE - MACEWAN STREET, WEST
LEEDERVILLE
PURPOSE OF REPORT:
To approve the temporary, long term closure of the southern half of MacEwan Street to facilitate
the safe construction of a large commercial building.
BACKGROUND:
At its meeting on 19 April 2011, the Council approved a development application for the
construction of a nine storey building with 3 level basement car park. The building is to be used
for offices, multiple dwellings, a restaurant and a local shop.
The new building is to be constructed on the block of land surrounded by Loftus Street,
MacEwan Street, Oxford Close and Railway Parade.
DETAILS:
The project builder has submitted a Construction and Traffic Management Plan for this project.
The traffic management plan proposes numerous temporary one day road closures as well as a
large number of partial road closures of MacEwan Street to facilitate the construction process.
In reviewing those plans, the Administration is of the view that it would be safer to close the
southern half of MacEwan Street for the duration of the construction period. This would allow
the significant number of heavy vehicle delivery movements to access the site without
disrupting the traffic in Loftus Street; allow the safe assembly of heavy trucks adjacent to the
site; and allow the safe and controlled departure of heavy trucks via Loftus Street.
Due to the narrowness of MacEwan Street, the access constraints imposed by the location of
this site, the lengthy construction period, and the considerable quantities of material to be
removed from this site in the initial phase, followed by the large amounts of construction
materials need for this project, it is recommended that the southern half of MacEwan Street be
temporarily closed for the construction period - approximately 30 months.
Traffic use of MacEwan Street is light, particularly in the southern west bound half, as
substantiated by traffic count data.
12 September 2007:
1283 vehicles east bound (northern half); with 213 vehicles west bound (southern half).
18 February 2010:
1343 vehicles east bound (northern half); 243 vehicles west bound (southern half).
The temporary removal of the two parking bays on the northern side of MacEwan Street will
assist to keep the east bound trafficable section of MacEwan Street as wide as possible.
The temporary, long term half road closure will enable the safe delivery and removal of material
by large trucks and semi-trailers, whilst maintaining the majority easterly one-way traffic flow on
the northern half of this street.
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