Kirby Road is being extended!

We are committed to keeping you moving! As part of our efforts to improve transportation and mobility, reduce gridlock and help you travel seamlessly throughout the community, the City of Vaughan is extending Kirby Road between Dufferin Street and Bathurst Street.

The Kirby Road Extension Project has been awarded to a design-build contractor. The project is well underway and is anticipated to be completed by summer 2026.

The newly extended Kirby Road will feature:

• four lanes (two in each direction).
• a new bridge structure crossing East Patterson Creek.
• connections to a future underpass trail crossing at East Patterson Creek.
• an in-boulevard multi-use pathway on the north and south sides of the road for cyclists and pedestrians.
• drainage improvements.
• enhanced roadway lighting.
• intersection improvements at both Dufferin Street and Bathurst Street.
• updated traffic signals.

To mark the official start of the project, the City held a media event earlier today at the future intersection of Kirby Road and Bathurst Street (11490 Bathurst St.) with Mayor Steven Del Duca and Members of Council in attendance. A project sign has also been installed on the site and will remain there until construction commences.

Traffic and traffic-related concerns were ranked top-of-mind by residents and businesses as the critical issues facing the community in the City’s 2022 Citizen and Business Surveys. Extending Kirby Road between Dufferin Street and Bathurst Street will help address this. It is part of the Council-approved Nine Point Action Plan to Fight Traffic Gridlock and is a significant infrastructure development project in Vaughan.

Here is more information about the project:

Why is Kirby Road being extended?

This extension will complete the missing link between east Vaughan to west Richmond Hill and make it easier for people to get to and across the city. It will also shorten travel times and provide additional pedestrian options for everyone living and working in the area. Additionally, the Kirby Road extension will offer access to enhanced cycling networks and future transit services, and help improve emergency services response times for the community. To learn more, read the Kirby Road Extension Environmental Assessment, which was approved by Council in June 2020.

Will extending Kirby Road help ease traffic in the area?

Yes! Those travelling to and along Kirby Road are currently restricted to using Teston Road or King Vaughan Road as their east-west connector road between Dufferin Street and Bathurst Street. Traffic and development in and around the area will continue to increase and, eventually, exceed the capacity of the existing road network. Extending Kirby Road will help relieve the pressure on our transit network.

Will construction be disruptive to the community?

The City is implementing measures that will help lessen construction impacts, including noise. While work is underway, there may be temporary disruptions to intersections at Dufferin Street and Kirby Road, or Bathurst Street and Kirby Road, and detours may be put in place. These disruptions will be communicated well in advance to residents.

What will be the speed limit for the new Kirby Road?

The proposed speed limit for Kirby Road will be 60 kilometres per hour.

How is the City planning transportation projects?

Transportation and Mobility is one of seven strategic priority areas of the Council-approved 2022-2026 Term of Council Service Excellence Strategic Plan, with a specific objective to improve Vaughan’s roads and street network. As such, extending Kirby Road is a key growth-related transportation infrastructure project for the City. The extension also aligns with several other initiatives staff are undertaking, as identified in the recently approved 2023 Vaughan Transportation Plan, Transportation Master Plan, 2012, North Vaughan and New Communities Transportation Master Plan, 2019 and Vaughan Official Plan, 2010.

Want to learn more? Browse through more frequently asked questions about the extension project.

Want to stay informed on the Kirby Road Extension Project? Email infrastructure.delivery@vaughan.ca to request to be added to the project’s mailing list.

QUOTES

“Tackling gridlock is our number one priority at the City of Vaughan. It erodes our quality of life, undermines our economic success and damages our natural environment. Several Council-approved initiatives are making strides towards mitigating traffic in the city, including my Nine Point Action Plan to Fight Traffic Gridlock in Vaughan. Among those key initiatives is the Kirby Road Extension Project. Improving the city’s east-west connections is vitally important – it will relieve the pressure on nearby roads and residential neighbourhoods and provide a critical link between Vaughan and Richmond Hill. The Kirby Road Extension will make it easier to travel through our city and really get Vaughan moving.”

- Mayor Steven Del Duca

“The Kirby Road Extension is a pivotal project in advancing Vaughan’s transportation network. I want to thank City staff for working diligently to bring this project to life, as it will benefit all road users in Vaughan. Extending the road from Dufferin Street to Bathurst Street will offer another east-west route for road users travelling from one end of the city to the other. Once complete, the new roadway will also feature options for people to commute by foot or bike, as active transportation is a key component to increasing mobility and reducing traffic. Officially marking the start of the project is an exciting achievement.”

- City Manager Nick Spensieri 

QUICK FACTS

• The City of Vaughan is extending Kirby Road between Dufferin Street and Bathurst Street.
• Extending Kirby Road is part of the Council-approved Nine Point Action Plan to Fight Traffic Gridlock.
• The Kirby Road Extension Project has been awarded to a design-build contractor. The project is well underway and is anticipated to be completed by summer 2026.
• Road is a key growth-related infrastructure project that will help advance the City’s transportation network.

LEARN MORE

• Kirby Road Extension project webpage
• Council-approved Nine Point Action Plan to Fight Traffic Gridlock Member’s Resolution