The inaugural Ontario Honda Dealers Indy at Markham race hits the road this weekend, bringing world-class racing to the city’s downtown.
To accommodate the new racetrack, the City of Markham tapped Stantec to lead multidisciplinary planning and engineering, transforming the existing public infrastructure into a fully functioning street circuit. The resulting design is a dual-purpose corridor that functions safely for daily traffic while supporting the high-speed race conditions required during the Indy event.
The design team had to account for grandstands, pit row, pedestrian access, and road modifications, while providing a better daily connection to the existing GO regional train station at Unionville, which will support fan arrival and departure during the event.
“I’m proud to say we were able to take Indy specifications and modify existing infrastructure to deliver a new showpiece for the City of Markham,” said David Thatcher, vice president of Transportation, Stantec. “IndyCar is a major international event, providing increased visitors, economic benefits, and a totally new experience for the community.”
The project was completed under an accelerated schedule to address approval and construction timelines. It required close collaboration with a significant group of interested parties, including the City of Markham; Regional Municipality of York; Metrolinx, Ministry of Transportation of Ontario; 407 Express Toll Route; Toronto and Region Conservation Authority; and the province’s Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks. Each had a distinct approval process.
Image Credit: Green Savoree
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