LAC LA BICHE - It’s been a busy summer for construction projects in the Lac La Biche area, with motorists, pedestrians and residents having to navigate detours and water utility issues.
The latest disruptions – and construction barriers – are happening along 101 Street and up 104 Avenue near the Lac La Biche Legion.
Lac La Biche County spokesperson Jihad Moghrabi says temporary water lines that are now running down 101 Street are part of the on-going water and sewer line replacement project on 104 Avenue.
That project began disrupting traffic and utility services to the neighbourhood in May.
The temporary service will remain in place until the utility line replacements are completed – a timeframe that is slated to take until the end of September, weather-permitting, says Moghrabi.
The most recent additions to the temporary water service include 10 residential homes and two businesses.
“The temporary water lines have been strategically placed to make the closest supply connection possible,” Moghrabi told the Lac La Biche POST newsroom on August 29.
According to Ali Memon, Lac La Biche County’s general manager of infrastructure, the entire project has been proceeding very well and will be wrapped up in September. Memon had a similar forecast in a Lakeland This Week news story last week, regarding the ongoing water line replacement project on 105 Street behind the Almac Motel. That project also started in the spring. Both projects have involved removing five-decades-old steel pipe and replacing it with newer PVC material. The projects have also involved watermain issues.
To date, says Memon, a considerable amount of the work has been completed on the 104 Avenue project.
As Memon explains, the watermain on 103 Street and half of 104 Ave. has been installed, as has the sanitary sewer from 103 Street to half of 104 Ave. The roads on 103 Street and half of 104 Ave., he continued, will be re-paved and opened within the next two weeks.
Over the past few months, Memon said, wet weather conditions have impacted the overall construction schedule. However, he added, crews have been able to work around the weather to the best of their abilities.
As to why the work is important to get done this year, Memon stated that the existing water and sanitary sewer infrastructure in the project area is aged, and the existing watermain is undersized and does not conform with current fire flow requirements.
“With the completion of this project, the water and sanitary services in this area will be improved significantly and elevated to current standards,” he said.
Along with the scheduled utility construction projects, Moghrabi said municipal crews are also dealing with emergent issues, like a water valve leak under 99 Avenue near the Al-Kareem mosque on Tuesday morning. That work also caused a disruption of water service to residents in the area.
Moghrabi said municipal officials do their best to inform residents and to get repairs done as quickly as possible.
"Staff needed to shut down a section of the water main on Tuesday, August 27 to safely excavate it for repairs. All affected homeowners, businesses, and organizations were informed of the water main isolation,” he said. “After the repair was completed that evening, our staff door-knocked to notify all those affected, and lines were flushed to ensure water quality.”
