Construction crews began work Monday on South Boundary Road. The road will be closed west of Southridge Drive to Range Road 61A near Desert Blume. Restoration work along the road is expected to be complete by Oct. 15.--NEWS PHOTO EMMA BENNETT
Medicine Hat News
Two months of detoured traffic is well worth the wait, according to Desert Blume residents who say they’ve waited years for repairs to the main route to the community.
Ivan Becker is the head of the homeowners association in the county community and says his members are thrilled.
“We’re certainly pleased that it’s being upgraded, and thanks goes to the city and county for getting together and co-ordinating it,” he said on Tuesday.
Complaints about the road’s condition have persisted for years but city council argued the benefits of repairs to the city-owned road would be felt by county residents, and so costs should be shared.
After lengthy discussions, the contract for the work, valued at $1.6 million in total, was approved last month with Cypress County providing $250,000 toward the cost.
Becker, a realtor, is also involved in selling lots in the new phase of the golf course community, said the basic issue was one of safety.
“As much as it was bumpy and rough, it was a dangerous roadway,” he said. “The detours are an imposition for a couple months but overall everyone is pleased.”
This week work got underway to flatten some sections, improve drainage, repave the roadway from Southridge Drive and Range Road 61A, and slightly widen the narrow road.
The work, done by Aecon Transportation West, of Redcliff, should be complete in mid-October, but the roadway will be closed to traffic for the duration.
Commuters will be routed along Township 120 then to Range Road 61A. From the west, Range Road 61A is still accessible from South Boundary Road, via the low-level crossing.
