KINDERSLEY — Rain, rain, stay away, and Kindersley’s Main Street will be back in play – possibly by the end of the month.
Chad Levitt, the town’s acting director of transportation and environmental services, told SaskToday earlier this week that installation of new concrete curbs along the roadway was over half complete.
“Once the curbs are finished it’s surprising how quick it goes,” he said. “The weather holding out now, that would just be the biggest thing itself. Then looking at the timelines, if it’s dry there is hope that we’ll have it done (including paving) before the August long weekend.”
The town has contracted G&C Asphalt out of North Battleford to fully rebuild about 500 metres of Main Street from 7th Avenue to 11th Avenue. The $1.42 million (pre-tax) project calls for a total road reconstruction, including the base material, along with the new concrete curbs and additional spot repairing of existing concrete sidewalks.
Information supplied by the town notes that G&C will also complete a new asphalt overlay along 12th Avenue from the local Burger King west to Highway 21, as well as patching of targeted potholes around town, and construction of a new general-use public parking lot at the intersection of Highways 7 and 21.
The 12th Avenue job and pothole work are to begin once the Main Street project is finished.
“We’re still hopeful,” Levitt said of a July 31 completion date to re-open the four blocks of Main Street. “The rain definitely hasn’t helped our cause. If it never rained, we’d be driving on it right now so that’s been the big thing.”
Environment Canada data shows 14.3 millimetres of rain (around six-tenths of an inch) fell on Kindersley from Saturday through Monday, bringing the town’s total to 32.3 for the two weeks from July 6-21.
The Main Street rebuild began on the heels of a water main replacement in the same area of town.
That project, tagged at just under $760,000 excluding taxes, saw 440 metres of cast iron pipe along Main Street and Phillips Court replaced with what Levitt said was PVC plastic pipe that should have a lifespan of 50-100 years.
(Budgeted costs for both projects were provided excluding taxes.)
Information provided by the town office said the previous water main was installed in 1956 but had sprung “numerous large leaks” over the past five years, including one that required public works employees to complete repairs in temperatures that dipped to -30 C.
The water main replacement was contracted to Kipling-based Gee Bee Construction and wrapped up ahead of the contracted June 30 deadline.
Social media posts from the town state that a precautionary drinking water advisory related to the project was in effect from June 2-18.
Jeff Soveran is president of the Kindersley and District Chamber of Commerce, and says the business community has been overwhelmingly supportive of the upgrades, despite the disruption to the town’s usual traffic flow.
“We knew there would be some effect on our businesses in the area, a little bit, but every one of those businesses had rear access, or if not rear access then some sort of access so customers could still get to them, and they (the town) tried to keep the alleyways clear as best they could so passengers could get in there,” said Soveran.
A town spokesperson added that businesses are not being compensated for potential lost revenue during the project but that the office has also made efforts to keep residents informed of access points to businesses along the construction route.
Soveran, who serves as Kindersley’s fire chief as well, noted his department received one fire call within the construction zone since work began in June but had no issues accessing the site thanks to an emergency services plan that was developed ahead of construction season.
He also credited the town’s contractors for their work in keeping the overall project on schedule, even in spite of the recent weather.
“Everything’s went pretty smooth,” Soveran said. “You hear the odd little complaint from the community or concerns about access and I get it, but when else do you fix the infrastructure?
“People realize too that their infrastructure is getting fixed and they’ll have brand new pavement, etcetera, so really there’s been no huge negative impact at all.”
