LAC LA BICHE - Lac La Biche County's current capital projects document is a list of 38 entries, tallying about $40 million in spending for the 2024 construction year.
The projects range from $30,000 playground swings at the Birch Grove playground and $25,000 subdivision entrance signs to the $9.5 million budgeted for this year's progress on the ongoing $32.5 million Main Street Revitalization Project and the $2.4 million spent on the 105 Street underground utility service replacements.
Lac La Biche County's infrastructure boss Ali Memon says work for the most part is on time and on budget for the wide-range of projects.
"As far as the projects are concerned, I think the projects are running OK. On time and on schedule as well as on budget, or within budget in other words.
End in sight by end of September - maybe?
At a meeting with Lac La Biche County council on September 3, Memon said council and residents will have less construction detours to deal with by the end of September... maybe sooner.
He said the 105 Street project – a watermain and utility pipe replacement which began in June and has disrupted traffic and access to some businesses – will be completed before the end of the month.
"Hopefully in the next two week's time – hopefully before – it will be done," said Memon.
Despite saying projects are on-schedule, another utility line replacement along 104 Avenue between 103 Street and 101 Street near the Lac La Biche Legion may go slightly beyond its September 30 projected completion date, Memon admitted.
"The deadline on that project has been September 30... it might go a week or so but we are trying to complete it by that schedule date," he said, adding that communication channels between himself, his department, the municipality and affected residents will be open throughout the process.
One smooth road
With the construction deadline for the current phase of the Main Street upgrades set for the end of October, Memon said the final part of that project for this year will be the paving of a single lift of asphalt over the roadway. The single layer of asphalt will last through the winter months and through next year. A single lift of asphalt is still covering the first phase of the downtown revitalization project that was completed last year.
There is an option to put down a second layer of asphalt on last year's section of roadway, but Lac La Biche County Mayor Paul Reutov said he would prefer to wait until after the third and final phase of the downtown construction project is completed at the end of 2025. Then, he said, on continuous lift can be put across each section of the downtown roadway, reducing seams and uneven surfaces.
"I would suggest to do second lift at the end of phase three. It's holding up, so we could wait," Reutov said.
A full accounting of each construction project, including progress and how much has been spent of the annual budget, can be found through a www.lakelandtoday.ca link to the county's website.
