While a few other construction projects that have disrupted residents and traffic since before the start of summer will need another week or two to be completed, Lac La Biche County officials say the second-phase of the three-phase Main Street revitalization project will wrap up two days before it's October 31 deadline.
Although the construction zone of the current phase of the $32.5 million project was initially set to open on Oct. 31-the same day trick or treaters set out in search of candy and other goodies for Halloween, the municipality's general manager of Infrastructure says there's more than a ghost of a chance the roadway will open on October 29.
The reason for the early road opening says Ali Memon, is because the contractors for the project are ahead of schedule.
“Our goal has always been to open the road as soon as it is safe to do so, and we are now able to push the date up to the 29th,” Memon told Lakeland This Week.
According to Memon, work on the project which began three years ago with the intention of replacing a five-block section of aging underground utilities and upgrading surface features like sidewalks, curbs and streetlights – has been going well. The current project, he said has gone well, despite some delays. He says contracted crews on the project have reported more than three weeks of "weather delays," but have fortunately been able to stay on schedule.
A winter break
Next spring, the third and final phase of the project will be getting underway on a section of Main Street between 100 Street and 101 Street. That section of roadway, from the Alberta Treasury Branch to Lac La Biche Sporting Goods will be closed to traffic for the duration of the project.
Memon said that the County has already started the preparation for traffic disruptions coming from next year's phase of the project. He said a short "cut-across" in the southwest corner of the newly updated McArthur Park will be opened for next year. The paved detour will allow motorists travelling from the east to access the downtown from 101 Avenue.
“This will allow us to hit the ground running next year and have adequate traffic flow as soon as the road is closed in the spring,” he said, explaining that while many of the materials have already been acquired for Phase 3, the bulk of the logistical preparations will take place over the winter season.
Face-to-face visits
As for lessons learned over the past six months as work for 2024 phase of the project gets wrapped up, Memon said in the start of the most recent construction, officials adapted their public and business engagement strategy to include door-to-door visits with businesses instead of the evening sessions that were held last year, when orange fences surrounded an area of Main Street from 103 Street to 102 Street.
“These visits have been very well received, and we have heard much more positive feedback from the businesses this year,” he stated.
While the Main Street project has a slightly earlier completion date, the utility replacement projects on 105 Street near the Independent grocery store and on 104 Avenue near the Lac La Biche Legion will have two weeks added to their completion dates. Both of those projects have been ongoing since May. Both had end-of-September deadlines, but both have been extended another two weeks.