The first major milestone in the construction work on Dracup Aveune in Yorkton has been achieved, with the reopening of York Road. The intersection was closed in order to rebuild the infrastructure underneath.
It was a difficult project says Josh Mickleborough, Manager of Engineering for the City of Yorkton. The main problem was the sheer amount of updating that needed to be done, he says, with new water, sewer and storm lines going in, with major gas, power and telephone lines also under the intersection.
"Any time you get into that you're not sure how all the crossings are going to work when you're running infrastructure under them, so it's just a little delay due to that."
As well, as has been the case throughout the city over this construction season, weather was also not cooperative on the project, also causing delays.
Before it was rebuilt, the infrastructure under the intersection was approximately 100 years old. The new systems in place are expected to meet the city's needs for 40 to 80 years.
The remainder of the construction on Dracup Avenue continues, and Mickleborough says that the timeline for the rest of the project depends on certain elements the city can't control.
"Construction, like farming, is dependant on the weather, and it depends on how much rain we get between now and freeze up."
Now work begins on the rebuild of the intersection of Hamilton Road and Highway 9. This project will mean the closure of Hamilton Road at this intersection, but it is expected that two lanes of highway will be open for the duration of the project. The schedule at the moment is predicting the project will take six weeks. Mayor Bob Maloney says that the city is asking for people's patience, and that once complete the work will be worthwhile.
"Once we're finished with that project people will find a lot better access, and it will be a lot easier to get in and out of that area."
