Crews continue work on the Division Avenue S. rehabilitation project as they look to have work on the roads complete in late October.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Ongoing construction on Division Avenue S. continues on course for a completed and revitalized roadway this autumn.
The project is extensive, says planning engineer John Ashton with the City of Medicine Hat.
“The project is a full facelift of the Division Avenue S. corridor. Right now, the existing Division Avenue is a very wide roadway,” said Ashton. “We’re taking it down to a two lane road and incorporating a multi use pathway, or a three-metre-wide leisure trail.”
The trail will run from Third Street SE to Kipling Street, with the goal of providing pathway access for those in the South Ridge and College area all the way up to Third Street. But this isn’t the only thing they’re working on.
“We’re also doing deep utility repairs,” said Ashton. “We’re doing some water and sanitary sewer repairs, some storm sewer repairs throughout the corridor. Some of it’s related to the narrowing of the road, but we’re also trying to improve the system there, so that when we’re done, we don’t have to go back and do any more work.”
This work is designed to facilitate more active transportation in the city, as well as lower maintenance costs for the high-traffic road.
While it does see roughly 10,000 cars each day, many portions of the artery were largely unused, said Ashton, leading to higher costs for snow removal and other maintenance. As such, the narrowing represents a better allocation of public dollars as well as accessibility and a cohesive aesthetic with similar roads featuring trails.
Since the project began in mid May, progress has gone well, said Ashton, with some minor delays for worker safety due to soaring temperatures.
“We’re still chugging along. Our completion date was always hovering at the end of October, and we’re still targeting the end of October for completion,” said Ashton.
Ashton praised the contractor, LMT Enterprises, for its efforts, as well as residents and businesses affected for their conduct.
“We appreciate the residents and their patience with us. I know nobody likes excavation or construction in front of their home or on their primary route,” said Ashton. “As such, we really appreciate all the co-operation from the residents and the businesses on the corridor and their patience with us as we’ve worked through this project.”
Information, including project details and its timeline, can be seen at medicinehat.ca/divisionavenue.
