Nothing says summer quite like construction.
With the early arrival of spring, the municipality decided to take advantage of the warm weather and get the ball rolling on a number of construction projects slated for the summer.
In town, three projects are currently underway, including the realignment of the Miette-Geikie intersection, work on crosswalk access ramps on Connaught Drive and maintenance work on water wells.
鈥淲e had the opportunity to move forward with some of our capital projects in advance of the busy summer season, so we did,鈥� wrote Christine Nadon, communications manager for the municipality, in an email.
鈥淭he improvements downtown are centred around public safety and accessibility, which should also enhance the overall experience for pedestrians and motorists.鈥�
The construction at the Miette Avenue and Geikie Street intersection, in front of the Emergency Services Building, is by far the most visible of the three projects, with heavy machinery and barriers set up at the intersection.聽
The aim of the $150,000 project is to realign the intersection to improve sightlines and make the intersection safer for pedestrians and motorists. A request to change the intersection from a two-way stop to a four-way will also be presented to council in May.
On Connaught Drive the municipality intends to cut several cement curbs and medians to create new crosswalk ramps for people in wheelchairs or with strollers. Currently many of the crosswalks along Connaught are inaccessible.
To carry out the construction, traffic restrictions will be in place and the speed limit will be reduced to 30 km/h along Connaught Drive, between Aspen Avenue and Hazel Avenue.
Repairs at the water wells at the town鈥檚 west entrance include removing and inspecting one of the three pumps as well as carrying out regular maintenance. The work will not affect water service, but residents in the area can expect temporary re-routing of footpaths in the area.
All three projects were approved in the municipality鈥檚 2015 capital budget and carried over into 2016 with council approval.
For more information, visit the municipality鈥檚 website at www.jasper-alberta.com.
Paul Clarke [email protected]
