Work has now started on the City of Estevan’s largest road infrastructure project of the year.
King Street is now closed from Pine Avenue to Kensington Avenue for a widening and resurfacing project. The project is scheduled to last for six weeks.
There will be no through traffic allowed in the construction zone.
Chamney Crushing was awarded the contract at the June 11 city council meeting for $946,097.50, plus tax.
A detour has been set up that includes Peterson Drive and Rooney Road for southbound traffic, and Henry Street for northbound traffic.
City engineer Kiflom Weldeab said this project is a continuation of the work that was completed a year ago on King Street from Bannatyne Avenue to Pine Avenue.
“We will keep widening the road north to make it a true four-lane width, so every lane will gain some room,” Weldeab said in an interview with the Mercury.
Since Estevan has a lot of pickup trucks on its roads, he believes it’s important to have optimum lane width.
One the work is finished, the stretch from Pine Avenue to Kensington Avenue will be the same width as Pine Avenue to Bannatyne Avenue. Currently King Street from Pine Avenue to Kensington Avenue is considerably narrower than the stretch of road to the east.
The widening of the road is the reason that the road will have to be shut down for six weeks.
“Six weeks is plenty to start and finish the project,” he said.
After the widening is finished, the resurfacing can begin. There won’t be any underground work needed.
“We will be just working with the base, the sub-base and the surface,” said Weldeab.
It was important to wait until the final days of the school year before beginning work on the project. The city also wants to have it finished before classes resum in September.
“We are constrained by climate as well,” said Weldeab. “If it is a rainy day, they cannot work. If it is a stormy day, they cannot work. If there are those days, it chips away at our construction days.”
According to a post on the City of Estevan’s Facebook page, the Estevan Shoppers Mall, Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons, Estevan Alliance Church, Midwest Surveys, Canada Capital Energy and Living Hope Church will not have access from their property onto King Street during the construction. Access to these properties will be through other routes.
Microtel will have limited access from Kensington Avenue. Clifton’s No Frills and the Mobil Gas Bar service station will have access off Spruce Drive only.
Weldeab asks the public to be patient while the work is completed.
“We have done a lot of work over the last few years, and the public has been extremely patient with us, and we will expect nothing less than what they have been doing in the last few years. So hopefully the public will be very happy once this is all done.”
The city reminds the public that removing barricades in construction zones is extremely dangerous and constitutes an offence under the Criminal Code and the Traffic Safety Act. Members of the Estevan Police Service will be monitoring the area and conducting the enforcement.
Anyone caught driving through or moving the barricades could face charges.
“It is important for motorists to allow for additional time when travelling for the duration of this project,” the city stated.
Motorists are asked to obey all construction signage including reduced speeds, road closures and local traffic only.
Once this project is finished, there will be just one main portion of King Street to be resurfaced, from Kohaly Avenue and Cundall Drive. Weldeab hopes it can be completed next year, but that will ultimately be up to city council.
Weldeab said another major infrastructure project for this year, the replacement of water mains on Nicholson Road and Lynd Crescent, is progressing well. The water main work is finished, and resurfacing will happen soon.
Weldeab said it should be finished by July 10.
