MELFORT — Work on Saskatchewan Drive will be happening over the summer including a new water line and new paving.
This project is a partnership between the City of Melfort and the Urban Highway Connector Program, with the province covering 75 per cent of the cost for the paving.
“This was part of an agreement the city signed about 10 years ago and certainly there were other priorities with the province so they weren’t able to fund this rehabilitation until this time,” said Brent Lutz, the city’s director of development and planning.
Altogether, the work along Saskatchewan Drive will exceed $3 million dollars with the City’s share of the project amounting to just over $1.3 million dollars. Work along Saskatchewan Drive is likely to go on throughout the summer.
During the construction process the City of Melfort encourages motorists to slow down and watch for detours. If they need to travel in this area of the city, everyone should slow down, watch for workers and be sure to follow the posted detour signs.
The first stage of the Saskatchewan Drive renovations have already begun on May 21. During this time the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Saskatchewan Drive closed to facilitate a water line replacement.
“So we don’t have to damage it in the future we are replacing this waterline due to its existing condition and we want to really do that before the new paving is put on the street,” Lutz said.
Prior to commencing work the contractor provided property owners in the affected area with a temporary water service.
The City of Melfort encourages residents of Windsor Park on the south side of the city to use South Avenue to access the crossing at Brunswick Street.
Local Traffic on Saskatchewan Drive is being diverted onto Anderson Avenue and Main Street. All truck traffic along Saskatchewan Drive other than local deliveries is diverted with traffic detoured South onto Highways 41 and 41A or north onto McDonald Avenue via Shadd Drive and Flett Springs Street.
After work on this intersection is completed, it will be open to local traffic only.
Installation of the remainder of the water line will result in the closure of portions of Saskatchewan Drive between Broadway Avenue and Main Street as the work progresses. The waterline replacement is expected to take less than two weeks.
Following the installation of the water line, contractors will begin removing and replacing portions of the curb along Saskatchewan Drive in preparation for paving.
This stage is planned to be completed by July 1.
“So these things have to happen in order and whether they will be consecutive or whether there will be periods of time between when the contractors arrive to do these portions of work is still a little yet to be seen,” Lutz said. “Whether it’s going to take them the entire month of June, it will be dependent on the weather.”
The paving is tentatively scheduled for July 1.
At this time contractors working on behalf of the Ministry of Highways will be resurfacing Saskatchewan Drive from Anderson Street in the west to the railway crossing just north of the Canalta Hotel in the east.
