The west side of the road poses a number of constraints for the location of the trail or realignment of the road. The construction of the multi-use trail on the west side of the road would require road construction on each side of Brimley Road South which would prolong the construction season, resulting in more construction nuisance and prolonged access disruption to Bluffer’s Park. The Brimley Road South Multi-Use Trail Project area is also a former landfill site, located predominantly on the west side of the road, that was operational until the mid-1960s. Excavation into the former landfill has a number of potential environmental risks and impacts, with the added potential for increased slope instability. Given the much steeper ravine slope on the west side of the road, significantly more slope cutting and excavation would be required to facilitate either a west-side trail or road realignment to the west, increasing the likelihood of landfill material exposure and potential slope failure. In addition, landfill monitoring infrastructure exists on the east side of Brimley Road South, just south of Barkdene Hills, that cannot be moved. This can be integrated into the trail design with appropriate hazard markings, whereas it could not be integrated into an active road lane or maintain the appropriate clearances required between infrastructure and the roadway. Furthermore, significant slope cuts have greater impact on the ravine system, which is designated as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA), provincial Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI), and is located within the City’s defined natural heritage system. As well, substantial slope cutting would remove significant portions of the tableland above, which is designated park land. Therefore, using the east side that is disturbed with pre-existing partial trail infrastructure has fewer or reduced slope cuts, less impact on the natural environmental, and minimizes the overall footprint of the trail facility. For these reasons, the trail is being implemented on the east side of Brimley Road, accommodating existing utilities and infrastructure.