Commuters versus construction: which Sudbury streets you should avoid this summer

It might not feel like spring yet in Sudbury, but construction has definitely arrived.

Work has begun a little bit early on some of the major road projects around the city, partly because there is an unprecedented $230 million to be spent on infrastructure this year.

"With all that benefit of infrastructure comes the unfortunate reality of 'We got a short construction window," says Greater Sudbury's general manager of infrastructure Tony Cecutti.

"So there's going to be lots of disruption for motorists for the summer. That's a necessary evil."

Here's a look at where some of the construction hotspots for 2017:

• LorneStreetwhere work has started on a $7 million facelift of a road that's become a symbol of Sudbury's bumpy streets. It will bedown to two lanes between Martindale Road and Webbwood Drive until winter. The rest of Lorne isn't much better, but no money has been committed to that work yet
• Kelly Lake Roadcould be a popular detour for people who normally take Lorne, if it wasn't about to become two dead-ends in June, while the bridge over Junction Creek is replaced at a cost of $2 million.The city is working on plans for re-routing traffic, especially the trucks coming and going from industrial businesses in that area.
• Municipal Road 80will go down to three lanes for much of the summer while crews work nearby on an interchange for the future $80 million Maley Drive Extension, which will be under construction for at least the next three years.
• Second Avenue starting next month will get a $8 million makeover, including being widened to five lanes plus a bike path, after three years of waiting for an environment assessment appeal to make its way through the provincial government. "We're anxious to get going to a large extent because the road is in a terrible state of disrepair," says Cecutti.