Amherst Island Wind Energy Project, Traffic Management Plan

45 Pages·2015·5.67 MB·English

Amherst Island Wind Energy
Project, Traffic Management
Plan

Report

Prepared for:
Algonquin Power Services
Canada

November 2015
AMHERST ISLAND WIND ENERGY PROJECT, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN

Table of Contents
1.0  INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1.1 
2.0  LOCAL CONTEXT AND KEY TRANSPORTATION ISSUES ................................................ 2.2 
3.0  REVIEW OF ISLAND ROADS AND TRAFFIC ................................................................... 3.3 
3.1  EXISTING CONDITIONS ..................................................................................................... 3.3 
3.2  CONSTRUCTION-RELATED TRAFFIC IMPACTS ................................................................ 3.4 
4.0  OVERVIEW OF CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ................................................................ 4.5 
4.1  ACCESS ROAD CONSTRUCTION .................................................................................... 4.5 
4.2  ROAD MODIFICATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE TURBINE DELIVERY ............................. 4.5 
4.3  TURBINE FOUNDATIONS.................................................................................................... 4.6 
4.4  TURBINE COMPONENT DELIVERIES ................................................................................. 4.6 
4.5  CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPORARY LAYDOWN AREAS AND OFFICE TRAILERS .......... 4.7 
4.6  CONSTRUCTION OF TRANSFORMER STATION ............................................................... 4.7 
4.7  CONSTRUCTION OF UNDERGROUND COLLECTOR SYSTEM ....................................... 4.8 
5.0  TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN ..................................................................................... 5.9 
5.1  OBJECTIVES ........................................................................................................................ 5.9 
5.2  PUBLIC INFORMATION STRATEGY ................................................................................... 5.9 
5.3  SAFETY MITIGATION .......................................................................................................... 5.9 
5.4  WILDLIFE MITIGATION ..................................................................................................... 5.11 
5.5  MAINLAND ACCESS ....................................................................................................... 5.11 
5.6  WARNING VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................. 5.12 
5.7  TEMPORARY SIGNAGE ................................................................................................... 5.12 
5.8  FLAG-PERSONS ................................................................................................................ 5.13 
5.9  PARKING AND MOVING EQUIPMENT/VEHCILES ON-SITE ......................................... 5.13 
5.10  DUST CONTROL AND SNOW REMOVAL ...................................................................... 5.13 
5.11  SPECIALTY VEHICLES ....................................................................................................... 5.13 
5.12  DRIVER DISCIPLINE .......................................................................................................... 5.13 
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Site Location, Amherst Island, ON
Figure 2: Delivery Routes for Turbines
Figure 3: Delivery Routes for Heavy Loads
APPENDICES
APPENDIX A – SIGNAGE PLACEMENT MAPS
APPENDIX B – WORK ZONE SIGNAGE PLANS
APPENDIX C – WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLAN
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AMHERST ISLAND WIND ENERGY PROJECT, TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN

Traffic Management Plan
1.0 Introduction
A Wind Energy Project located on Amherst Island located in Lake Ontario south of the Village of Bath has
been proposed by Windlectric Inc. (Algonquin Power). The project was approved by the Ministry of the
Environment and Climate Change through Renewable Energy Approval issued in August 2015. The
project involves the construction and operation of 26 wind turbines, which will be situated on Amherst
Island as illustrated in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the location of the proposed wind turbine sites and the
permanent access roads that lead from the public road to the individual sites
According to the report, “Amherst Island Wind Energy Project, Construction Plan Report, Revised
December 2013, Stantec Consulting Ltd.” (the Construction Plan Report), all turbine components and
required construction equipment and materials are to be transported between mainland and island
laydown areas by barge. Similarly, the construction workforce will also be transported to and from the
island by barge. The existing road system on the island will be used for the transportation of construction
materials and personnel between the laydown areas and the wind turbine sites.
A Traffic Management Plan will be implemented on Amherst Island during construction, to address the
safety requirements of the project. This report reflects the assessment conducted to define the plan as
well as the details of the plan itself. It includes:
 A consideration of the existing traffic, pedestrian, and cycling activity on the island as well as the
related road/intersection operations;
 Identified and considered potential safety concerns related to the design of the existing roadways
and/or intersections, given the addition of construction vehicles to the mix of traffic on Amherst
Island;
 Determination of the route(s) from a safety perspective between the Island laydown areas (dock)
and proposed wind turbine sites;
 An articulation of the plan to manage construction traffic in a manner that minimizes the
potential impact on local wildlife; and
 The specific measures to be implemented during the construction phase of the project, which
incorporate the principles and guidelines of “Ontario Traffic Manual Book 7 Temporary
Conditions”.
Construction vehicles (including gravel trucks and deliveries of turbine components) and equipment will
reach the 26 turbine sites based on the Delivery Routes for Heavy Loads Drawing AMST-207, Rev. 1
dated Sept. 15, 2015, and Delivery Routes for Turbines Drawings AMHST-206, Rev. 2 dated Sept. 15,
2015 (see Figures 2 and 3). The routes use sections of every public road on the island with the exception
of Emerald 40 Foot Road (which has been excluded because it passes through a large wetland complex),
the section of Front Road west of the construction dock, and the section of South Shore Road west of
Stella 40 Foot Road. These drawings have been made available to the public for review and comment
1.1
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Traffic Management Plan
through a posting on the Loyalist Township website. This report assumes that the truck routes outlined in
these two Figures will not be changed and provides traffic management processes and procedures which
will result in an appropriate level of safety for the transport of materials and equipment.
2.0 Local Context and Key Transportation Issues
Amherst Island is part of Loyalist Township within the County of Lennox and Addington. It has a
population of approximately 500 people, which approximately doubles during the summer months.
There are two hamlets on the island, Stella and Emerald, and rural residential development is generally
located along the shoreline, and along 3rd Concession Road. There are many small businesses located on
the island as well as farm lands that occupy most of the interior.
The Amherst Island Public School is located at 5955 Front Road, provides programs from junior
kindergarten to grade 8 (approximately 30 pupils), and is served by a school bus operating on the island.
Class times are from 8:35 a.m. to 2:50 p.m. Other institutional land uses on the island include several
churches.
Transportation between the mainland (Millhaven) and the island (Stella) is provided by a ferry service for
cars (approximate capacity of 30 vehicles) and passengers. The ferry runs on an hourly schedule between
6:00 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. and a one-way trip takes approximately 20 minutes. Ferry log information for
2014 indicates that during an average month approximately 11,000 cars and trucks are transported to and
from the island. This translates into average daily vehicle trips by ferry of approximately 370, and an
average hourly volume of approximately 30 vehicles (15 vehicles to or from the island in an average hour).
The seasonal variation of the ferry traffic was examined to determine how much the summer, seasonal
peak traffic would vary from the annual average traffic. It was found that the peak traffic for 2014
occurred in August with 13,576 car and truck trips. The seasonal peak trips were found to be
approximately 23% greater than the annual average trips. Given the low traffic volumes, the increase in
the peak season versus the annual average can be considered to be a nominal increase in traffic.
The key transportation considerations related to the existing Amherst Island community and the planned
construction of wind turbines are seen to be as follows:
 Potential conflicts between construction-related traffic and the day-to-day activities associated
with the local community, including local travel by car, school bus, bicycle, or on foot as well as
the movement of farm machinery;
 The need to ensure that local residents are aware of the temporary conditions during
construction that could affect traffic safety on various parts of the island depending on the
location of the work sites; and,
 The need to ensure that local wildlife and its habitat are not adversely impacted by the
construction traffic associated with the project.

2.2
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Traffic Management Plan
3.0 Review of Island Roads and Traffic
3.1 EXISTING CONDITIONS
A site visit was conducted by Stantec senior transportation staff on Thursday, September 24, 2015 during
ideal weather conditions (i.e. sunny and clear with a typical seasonal temperature). The majority of the
island roads can be characterized as having rural cross sections (i.e. gravel or grass shoulders and open
drainage), relatively narrow travel widths (approximately 4-5m), and gravel surfaces. The exceptions
include sections of Front Road along the north shore and Stella Road that have paved surfaces and travel
widths of approximately 6-7m. It was also noted that most of the island roads are relatively flat (so sight
lines are not limited) with the exception of the central section of Stella Road where there is a crest curve
(hill) in the vicinity of the Glenwood Cemetery that limits north-south sight lines to some extent.
There are some sections of Front Road with a posted speed limit of 50 km/h, while most of the other
roads have no posted speed limits (statutory maximum speeds would apply, i.e. 50 km/h in urban settings
and 80 km/h in rural settings). Due to the physical characteristics and limitations of the island roads,
excessive speeding is not anticipated to be an issue.
Most intersections are “uncontrolled” – i.e. no stop or yield signs, and where approaching drivers would
yield to a vehicle approaching from the right under the normal rules of the road. Several intersections
have stop-controlled approaches such as Front Road/Stella Road (all-way stop) and Emerald
Road/Second Concession (stop control on westbound approach), while several other intersections have
yield signs on the minor street approach (e.g. Emerald Road/Front Road and Stella Road/South Shore
Road).
Traffic volumes on the island roads are low. Based on the field observations and the limited capacity of
the ferry, it is estimated that the hourly volumes on sections of the main roads such as Front Road and
Stella Road would likely be in the order of 20 to 30 vehicles. The traffic on the remaining island roads is
estimated to be 10 or less vehicle trips during a typical hour, but was observed to include the movement of
large farm machinery.
Similar to vehicular traffic, cycling and pedestrian traffic was also observed to be low. Two cyclists were
seen on the ferry crossing to the island and the same two cyclists were seen on the island roads later
during the field visit. The total number of pedestrians observed over the course of two hours was less than
5, however, it could be expected that there may be greater pedestrian activity in proximity to the public
school around the beginning or end of classes. Pedestrians and cyclists generally share the travelled
section of the island roads since there are no separate facilities such as sidewalks or bike lanes provided
for these modes of transportations.
Given these traffic volumes there are no road traffic capacity issues or significant operational issues, with
the possible exception of short duration traffic activity during “special events” such as small festivals.
3.3
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3.2 CONSTRUCTION-RELATED TRAFFIC IMPACTS
The Construction Plan Report provided information regarding the approximate construction time frame
(18 to 24 months), construction activities ranging from surveying to testing/commissioning, the volume of
materials to be delivered including wind turbine components, construction equipment, and materials
(including a large volume of aggregate), and the number of daily worker and related passenger car trips
to/from the island. As noted previously, the construction related movement of materials and people will
be by special purpose barges travelling between newly constructed, special purpose docks on the
mainland and on the island. Therefore, the construction-related transportation will not impact the
existing ferry operation or docks on the mainland and the island.
As noted in the Construction Plan Report, the delivery of wind turbine components and construction
equipment will be staged such that the volume of additional traffic created on the island will be relatively
low during any given hour. For example, the expectation is that the components for only one turbine
would be delivered during any given day, which means 10 turbine component loads being transported in a
single day. The key issue to address with the transportation of these construction-related materials will be
to provide routes that accommodate oversize and slow moving trucks (typically flatbed tractor-trailers).
The construction-related traffic associated with the more regular delivery of aggregate and other day-to-
day construction equipment and materials, as well as daily worker traffic, would represent a higher
volume of traffic. Based on the amount of materials to be delivered and the capacity limitations of the
special purpose barges, it is estimated that the highest hourly traffic would include the following types and
volume of traffic:
 25 loaded aggregate trucks arriving and 25 empty aggregate trucks departing;
 24 passenger cars arriving (worker-related) and no passenger cars leaving (for the morning peak
period, with the reverse flow of traffic later in the day during the afternoon peak period); and
 6 construction-related trucks arriving and 6 construction-related trucks departing.
Given the low existing traffic volumes on any of the island roads, this increase in traffic could easily be
accommodated from a capacity perspective. Notwithstanding, there will be some relatively minor road
and intersection improvements required due to the physical limitations of the existing island road
network.

3.4
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4.0 Overview of Construction Activities
The following outlines anticipated construction activities and lists the principal steps that will be involved
in the completion of each activity.
4.1 ACCESS ROAD CONSTRUCTION
Access road construction will include the following steps:
 Staking out the right of way (ROW), Construction Limits and road centre line
 Stripping and stockpiling of Topsoil
 Culvert and drainage work installation
 Ditch and road construction with earthworks grading
 Placement of geo textile
 Placement and compaction of sub-base road material and compaction testing
 Placement of base course road material and compaction testing
 Installation of gates to restrict access
Reclamation around and related to the access roads will occur once the Project is operational and
will reduce the size of the access roads (to a maximum 6m width) yet still allow for occasional maintenance
vehicles to access the turbines. Reclamation will involve: pushing back topsoil, site leveling, crane pad
removal, beauty ring installation around tower and any required seeding in accordance with the
Renewable Energy Approval (REA) application supporting documents.
4.2 ROAD MODIFICATIONS TO ACCOMMODATE TURBINE DELIVERY
The relatively minor road Modification construction for this purpose will include the following steps:
 Staking out the ROW, Construction Limits and road centre line
 Stripping and stockpiling of Topsoil
 Drainage work
 Ditch construction with grading as necessary
 Placement of geo textile
 Placement and compaction of sub-base road material and testing
4.5
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 Placement of base course road material
The temporary road modifications can be reversed / reclaimed after construction is completed.
4.3 TURBINE FOUNDATIONS
Foundation construction will include the following steps:
 Stripping and stockpiling of topsoil and vegetation/tree removal (if required, and in
accordance with REA documents) for Turbine laydown area
 Staking of centre pin and excavation of foundation
 Placement of concrete leveling mat
 Installation of reinforcing bars and bolt cage
 Pouring of concrete
 Backfill foundation and connect ground ring
 Construction of crane pad
4.4 TURBINE COMPONENT DELIVERIES
Component delivery work includes the following steps:
 Crane set up – Typically two cranes (80-130 ton capacity) for tower components if being
placed onto saddles at site
 Spotting delivery vehicles arriving at turbine access road with flag-persons
 Guiding delivery vehicle to turbine site with escort vehicles
 Rigging up and picking of components
 Setting component on to saddle
 Unrigging components
 Inspection of components
 Demobilization and move to next delivery location
4.6
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4.5 CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPORARY LAYDOWN AREAS AND OFFICE TRAILERS
Construction of the temporary laydown areas and the office trailers will include the following steps:
 Stakeout Constructible limits
 Strip and stockpile topsoil
 Level area
 Run services, gas, electricity, communications cable
 Place material and compact
 Deliver Construction Trailers
 Designate Parking and Evacuation Areas
 Install Signage
Upon completion of construction, temporary structures will be removed and the areas disturbed will be
restored to pre-disturbance conditions.
4.6 CONSTRUCTION OF TRANSFORMER STATION
The Transformer Station construction will include the following steps:
 Stake Constructible limits
 Strip and stockpile topsoil
 Begin earthwork levelling and excavations for foundation
 Install reinforcing bars for strip foundations and piers
 Pour concrete
 Install grounding grid
 Backfill ground grid and install material
 Begin steel erection including equipment, switch gear and bus work
 Main transformer delivery
 Pull cables, connect and commission transformer
4.7
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 Deliver and commission control building
 Testing
4.7 CONSTRUCTION OF UNDERGROUND COLLECTOR SYSTEM
The underground collector system construction will include:
 Meet and identify installation requirements with the municipality
 Stake property lines and centre line
 Install cable, plow, trench and bore
 Backfill and compact cable
 Install and connect splices and junction boxes
 Install pad-mounted transformers at turbines
 Terminate Cable at substation and pad mounts
 Test Cable
Reclamation work required as part of the collector line installation will occur once the line is fully installed
and once weather permits.

4.8
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