LAC LA BICHE - It's open. The one-block portion of Lac La Biche's downtown at 101 Avenue that has been closed for construction since May, opened to traffic on Tuesday afternoon.
Just in time for Halloween, crews were pulling down roadway signs, barricades and the orange fencing that has blocked the construction area for the last four months.
Traffic lights, street lights, trees and more paving to come
Despite the opening of the roadway, work on the project — part of a three-phase, $32.5 million project to replace aging underground infrastructure and upgrade surface features — is not fully complete. A second lift of pavement is still required on the road surface, decorative road-side trees and lampposts have also not been put in place. Traffic lights at the west edge of the construction area, at the 103 Street intersection are also absent. The traffic lights are expected to be installed by the middle of December. A four-way stop will be used at the intersection until the traffic lights arrive.
Work on the roadway was expected to continue into November, with construction crews and municipal officials saying more rain delays during the summer months had pushed the project past its October 31 deadline. Last week, municipal staff were visiting downtown businesses to explain the expected delay.
Tuesday afternoon's removal of the street barricades indicates a change to that schedule.
There is not a time-frame on when the new lampposts or trees will be erected. The old lampposts will be re-installed along the downtown street until the new ones arrive.
The construction project is part of a three-year plan to replace underground utilities and upgrade the downtown area. The next phase of the project is expected to begin next year, blocking off a portion of 101 Avenue from 102 Street to 100 Street.