Concern over road projects

There are two major roadway projects being undertaken in the city, and residents clearly have concerns about both.

The City of Yorkton held a public meeting on the dual projects — work on Dracup and Mayhew Avenues — last week booking the small Ravine Room at the Gallagher Centre for the event. The room proved too small as some 75 residents attended the meeting in what ended up a standing room only option for some.

“I’m glad to see such a great turn out here,” said Trent Mandzuk Director of Public Works with the City as he began the presentation.

Mandzuk said he and the City were aware there were concerns from residents in both areas, and from business owners along both streets and he was glad to see a good attendance so the background of the projects could be better understood.

“I’m glad to see such attendance so we can tell you what we’re doing this year … So everybody is in the know.”

Mandzuk said to begin with when it comes to complete reconstructions of streets, the City has limited dollars, so must make choices in terms of which streets are done, and when.

“We’re doing the best job with the dollars that we have,” said Mandzuk. He went on to explain the city has $150 million in roadway assets, part of some $1 billion in overall infrastructure assets which includes things such as the sewage treatment and water treatment facilities.

“It’s a huge amount of assets we’re responsible for,” he said, then adding many of those assets, in particular roadways and underground infrastructure are aging.

Mandzuk said as a roadway ages it actually deteriorates more quickly the older it gets.

“They’re bad now, but they’re going to get worse,” he warned.

And as roadways age so too do the waterline and sewer lines and other infrastructure below the ground.

Most of the underground pipes in Yorkton are some 60-years old, and “there is pipe from the early 1900s still functioning,” said Mandzuk. “It’s been operational for 100 years … It’s due for replacement.”

Repairing pipes as they fail is not the ideal solution, added Mandzuk.

“Digging holes and pulling pipes out of the ground is very expensive,” he said.

So the City does not want to simply replace pavement on a street and then two years later have to dig it up should old pipes fail, which Mandzuk admitted has occurred but is a process the City is moving to correct.

By replacing the underground infrastructure with new lines “intended to last 100-years,” Mandzuk said the new street should not need to be dug up again for years.

When it comes to deciding what streets are at the top of the list for reconstruction Mandzuk said a number of factors are considered, including its overall condition, how much traffic uses the street normally, and whether it is a key roadway to access schools, the hospital, or senior’s residences.

“We have to establish parameters,” he said. He would add later the City “is hitting the oldest, ugliest ones out there.”

In the case of Dracup Avenue it is a key street in that the underground infrastructure, sewer and water, are main lines, and it serves the new college facility as well.

“The road was bad. Everything under the road was bad,” said Mandzuk.

In replacing the underground infrastructure Mandzuk said not only is it replacing aging lines, but is allowing for the install of pipes which can accommodate future growth in the city.

The Dracup project actually began in 2014, and the likelihood is that work will extend into 2017, and that is an issue, admitted Mandzuk.

“I can understand being upset,” he said in regards to the extended disruption to the roadway for local residents. “… But everything that is getting done is getting done for a good reason. We don’t want to be back there for 100-years.”

That was not enough for some when it came time for questions, and city residents took issue with the protracted work.

“The north Dracup work did not go well,” admitted City Manager Lonnie Kaal who spoke rarely throughout the meeting.

But the work ahead was said to be planned as well as possible.

“My problem is we’ve lived through your planning,” said a resident, who went on to suggest the conditions the last year or more have been terrible on Dracup. “Country roads are better. Prairie trails are better.”

This year Mandzuk said the paving of Dracup Avenue from Darlington to York Road will be paved with concrete.

“We’ll definitely get that done,” he said, adding “… We’ve started moving dirt (already).”

Underground infrastructure will go in from Darlington to Broadway, and weather permitting the paving.

The tender for the work has been accepted.

The work will be disruptive in terms of access to some homes and businesses, but Mandzuk said the City will work to alleviate inconveniences.

“Rest assured everyone will have access at all times,” he said.

In some situations it will be temporary access to local traffic only for residents.

In terms of business, it may be a more circumventive route, but there will always be access, said Mandzuk.

The work on Dracup North is budgeted to be $2,212,000, while Dracup South will be $4,225,000.

The work on Dracup will include a roundabout at the intersection of Darlington.

Roundabouts “do move traffic efficiently. That’s a proven fact,” said Mandzuk. He explained the efficiency comes from vehicles only needing to yield when traffic is in the roundabout, whereas lights, or a four-way stop force vehicles to stop completely.

At present the roundabout is conceptual, but is expected to be similar to the one on King Street and Gladstone Avenue in the city, said Mandzuk.

The final design work and approvals are still ahead, and will be the final work on Dracup.

“That will be the last of the phases,” he said, adding it could happen in 2016, but may be next year.

The roundabout intersection has a projected budget cost of $966,000.

Mandzuk said some have suggested control lights would be a lower cost option for the intersection, but he said that is not the case.

“No it’s not because we did the numbers on it,” he assured.

Adam Daniels, whose residence is on the corner of Dracup and Darlington said he understands progress, the need to fix the street, and the importance of the road in terms of access to the College. But he noted College classes are held throughout the day spreading traffic out. With that in mind he questioned why a four-way stop would not work, as he feared people will roll through a roundabout without stopping, making it difficult to get out of his yard.

Mandzuk said traffic studies do not suggest stop signs, reiterating that a roundabout should expedite movement through the intersection.

Another concern was large trucks being able to manoeuvre the roundabout.

Mandzuk said while large trucks are not supposed to be using Dracup or Darlington the large ladder truck of Yorkton’s Fire Protective Services can go through the existing roundabout so that should not be an issue.

Mayhew Avenue is the second big project, and Mandzuk said it is again a roadway in need of an upgrade.

“It’s pretty bad all the way to Darlington,” he said.

The first phase of the work will be Broadway Street to Darlington, with a completion date expected of July 1.

Phase 2 will be Morrison to Darlington with a target completion days of Sept. 1.

Again Mandzuk said the City will work to ensure access to business. He said they will “make every effort to minimize disruptions.”

That said, Mandzuk said the City has to look at the big picture for the community.

“We have to be able to come in and do what has to be done,” he said.

That did not appease some of the retail business owners in Linden Square Mall which will be most affected in terms of access while the Mayhew work is carried out. It was suggested the Chalet Restaurant, M&M Meats and similar business will see a direct impact.

“They’ll be down 50 per cent in sales without a doubt because of terrible access,” warned David Dungee. He added such businesses are about being convenient to access and that will be taken away during the work.

It was added KFC would be hit hard on Dracup during that work too.

“They’re sales are going to be toast,” it was noted.

???? from The Chalet agreed.

“We took a hit when Broadway was out eight months last year and now … You will kill that mall (Linden Square),” she said.

“How long will it take for them to go out of business?” asked Dungee.

Mandzuk did offer to meet with Linden Square business people to go over the City’s plan to provide access through the work period.

Both Dracup and Mayhew will be paved with concrete, the same as the work carried out on Highway #10 last year, which was a concern of some in attendance.

Mandzuk said the move to using concrete was a matter of the best expenditure of dollars based on a life cycle evaluation of concrete versus asphalt.

“Asphalt lasts 15-years,” he said.

By comparison, using “proven historical data” concrete will last 40 to 50-years, said Mandzuk, adding the work being carried out “is engineered to the best standards of the day.”

It was mentioned that there are cracks in the concrete on Highway #10 already.

“Yes there’s been a bit of cracking,” said Mandzuk, but repairs are being undertaken under the work’s one-year warranty.

Wilf Miller questioned the cost of the actual work on Highway #10 for the concrete.

“That project came in on budget,” assured Mandzuk.

It was also pointed out that the Highway #10 work was cost-shared with the provincial department of Highways, and they approved the use of concrete as a viable alternative to asphalt.