You don’t have to drive far in the City of Cranbrook these days to see signs of the busiest road construction season this community has ever witnessed.

The 2017 capital roads program is peaking during the month of August, with some new projects underway and many projects now complete.

Currently, there are seven construction contracts in place covering upgrades or reconstruction to about 23 roads around the city. It is estimated that there are up to 100 employees working on various aspects of this year’s roads program from engineering and design to road building and traffic control, with the vast majority of them local employees and contractors.

“This is great news and confirmation of the promise made during the election that this council and I were committed to doing a lot of infrastructure work if we were elected,” said Mayor Lee Pratt. “It is also good to see local contractors successful in winning the bids. Having $15 million injected into the local economy is also a big win for the community. This is one piece of the vision we have for the improvement of the quality of life to be had in Cranbrook. A promise made and a promise kept! Stay tuned there is more to come!”

The city is working with an approved budget of $14.8 million dollars for the 2017 capital roads program. That includes funds generated from the one per cent dedicated road tax and the $10 million in borrowing approved following the alternative approval process last fall.

To date there are 10 road paving projects completed by local contractor BA Blacktop, with many more scheduled to be wrapped up in August and early September including: College Way, Mount Connell Crescent and Edgewood Drive.

Also, 2nd Street South is moving along quickly, with Mackay Contracting putting a significant amount of resources in place to have this very large project completed on schedule. The plan is to have the section east of 7th Avenue South completed before school returns, with the west section being completed by the end of September.

Anderson Crescent reconstruction is now moving into the road building stage, with the new water and sanitary sewer now in place and becoming fully operational in the coming days. Curb, sidewalk and paving is scheduled to be complete before the end of August by general contractor B.E Civil.

Two water main and road reconstruction projects are also taking place in the Baker Hill area. BA Blacktop and subcontractor Hebditch Contracting are working to replace the very old water main and road structure on 13th Avenue South between 2nd and 4th Street South. Further west, the city is also preparing to award a contract for similar water main replacement and road construction work on 5th Street South between 7th and 5th Avenue South.

“While resources are being maximized to get all of the work done, the city and its partners continue to make communication and stakeholder satisfaction a priority,” said Mike Matejka, Project Manager for the City of Cranbrook. “The patience shown by residents, property owners, and citizens affected by the work is much appreciated as the city strives to improve the overall state of infrastructure and levels of service.”

Property access and any service disruptions will occur. However, the duration of and the impact to the public will continue to be kept to a minimum while ensuring the construction work can continue to be completed in a timely manner.

Please continue to respect and obey all signage and direction of any flaggers. It is so important for drivers to be aware of their presence. Please slow down to give these personnel the space they need to be safe. The City of Cranbrook remains committed not only to the safety of the public but to the safety of our staff. Thank you for remembering their safety as well as your own as you drive through construction zones.

The city appreciates the patience and understanding of the public as this road work is completed.

To continue to stay informed on the progress of all of our capital road work this summer, visit our website.

You can also follow the City of Cranbrook on Facebook and Twitter.

City of Cranbrook

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