This article was previously published on CambridgeToday.

Anyone who uses Roseville Road in Cambridge as an easy shortcut to the southwest side of Kitchener will have to find an alternative route via Highway 401 starting next month.

A contractor appointed by the Department of Transport will soon begin dismantling the bridge over the motorway, which will result in the road being closed from Whistle Bare Road from September 2 until November next year.

The Region of Waterloo is coordinating the road closure and began informing the public last week.

Green Infrastructure Partners (GIP) began work on the project this month and plans to demolish the existing bridge before the end of 2024.

The $17 million project includes improvements to existing drainage systems and the construction of a new bridge.

Once completed, the bridge will accommodate the future widening of Highway 401, said the MTO, which has been replacing overpasses and underpasses in the Cambridge corridor for more than a decade.

The MTO says it will inform those involved and travelers in advance of the exact demolition date as soon as it is confirmed.

Travellers can visit the MTO construction website or follow @511Ontario on X for up-to-date information on work and traffic impacts.

Cambridge-to-Kitchener commuters who regularly use Roseville Road can jog to Northumberland Street via Cedar Creek Road (Highway 97).

Another alternative is the busier route from Dickie Settlement Road to Fountain Street South, but construction plans and the opening of the Amazon Fulfillment Center in 2025 could impact this route before the bridge is completed.

Amazon is expected to add up to 400 vehicle trips per day through the roundabout at Fountain and Dickie Settlement, which is also shared with Conestoga College’s Cambridge campus.

Roseville Road also has plans to add a roundabout at Edworthy Sideroad next year.

According to the Engage Waterloo Region roundabout page, construction is scheduled to begin in May 2025 and completion is planned for the fall.

The region began expropriating land for the roundabout in the spring.

Last summer, after approval by the local council, the region initiated plans to build a roundabout at Roseville and Dickie Settlement roads.

This project is still in the detailed planning phase and will not interfere with work along the route next year.