Kipling stretch will close for summer for construction

By Medicine Hat News on June 12, 2020.

The shutdown of a central cross-town corridor in Medicine Hat this summer will begin next week as roadway and underground infrastructure is replaced along Kipling and Spencer streets.

The work follows phased construction over the last few years and will mean that starting June 17 traffic will be closed between College Avenue and Kingsway Avenue until the fall.

Last year, the utility department moved the water main along the route through the city’s Marshall Avenue storage yard, and this year will replace local service to Spencer Street homes and businesses at the eastern end of the corridor. Those have seen increasing breakdowns over recent years, but the city is expecting utility service and access to the homes and businesses will be maintained throughout this summer’s work.

Also in 2020, the municipal works department will reconfigure and resurface the roadway and electric distribution lines will be moved.

The entire project to replace and upgrade sewer, water, storm sewer and roadway along the corridor was originally budgeted to cost $19.6 million, paid for out of several departments’ annual infrastructure replacement budgets for 2019 and 2020.

To date $13.2 million had been spent, and the contract for the final phase, worth $4.8 million, was awarded to BYZ Enterprises in early May. Five companies submitted bids for the work, but values were not included in the tender approval package that was presented to council late last month.

To this point, spending suggests the project could wind up $1.6 million under budget, but administrators state that money would be used to complete other projects in the environmental utilities department and municipal works work plans.

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