Bradley Estate residents have been waiting 10 long years to end the steady flow of traffic along Renaud Road which has created noise, pollution and safety problems.
Thankfully, their wait will soon be over following an agreement between the City and the NCC to realign Renaud Road in such away as to create a bypass between Navan Road at Brian Coburn Boulevard and the western part of Renaud Road east of Anderson Road.
As a result, Renaud Road will be decom-missioned from Percifor Way/Joshua Street to the new road, including the dangerous 90-degree turns. It also means that the Prescott-Russell Trail will no longer be dissected by Renaud Road.
The news is a huge victory for the residents of Bradley Estates. The only issues remaining to be resolved is when construction will be begin on the realignment and how long will it take.
The debate over Renaud Road dates back 10 years and more to the earliest days of the Bradley Estates sub-division. It came to a head during the 2014 municipal election and remained a major issue through the 2018 election. During that time, the City and the NCC were at an impasse with each blaming the other for a lack of movement.
It has only been since 2022 with the election of Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and the ward boundary adjustments that put the Bradley Estates in Orléans South-Navan Ward represented by Catherine Kitts, that movement on Renaud Road was finally made, culminating in the recent announcement.
“This project has been a personal mission of mine,” says Kitts. “This agreement will allow us to remove the two 90-degree bends on Renaud Road, where it crosses the Prescott-Russell Trail in two places, promoting greater safety for drivers and cyclists. It will also remove relentless traffic out of Bradley Estates and away from the Mer Bleue bog.
“This agreement is an important step forward on addressing our transportation challenges, but I continue to remain laser-focused and committed to leveraging this momentum to propel further advancements in Orléans South-Navan’s infrastructure. It’s only the beginning, but it’s a good start.”
Prior to the ward boundary adjustments, Orléans West-Innes councillor Laura Dudas also pushed to have Renaud Road realigned.