INNISFAIL - Town council has approved a $150,000 budget to move forward this year to fix the longstanding troublesome intersection at 53rd Avenue and 56th Street.
The issue was brought up at council's May 28 regular meeting by Mayor Jim Romane who passionately noted the intersection must become a priority for council and administration this year as it's "falling apart" because of the lack of drainage and resulting pooling.
"It has been a need for a number of years. It just kept being shelved, pushed back and back and forgotten about," said Romane after council's June 11 regular meeting when council unanimously agreed to an administration plan to fix the troublesome intersection. "Too many people were tired of it. I had a number of complaints about it myself and other councillors received the same comments. It is time."
Crystal Scheit, the town's engineering coordinator, presented the administration report to council, one that outlined a phased plan that will include the intersection being closed during the day for construction with a temporary access being created off Lakewood Drive, just east of the Aspen Heights intersection, that will give residents access, as well as users of Anthony Henday Campground.
"We don't actually have a road off the north side there, so that is what we are going to be building up so people can actually maintain access to that area up in Hazelwood," said Scheit, adding the 53rd Avenue and 56th Street intersection will be "periodically" closed off.
"The plan is to have it opened up overnight. When they are taking the asphalt out they are going to have to close the whole intersection in order to do that," she added. "While they are doing the grading work they will also have to close it but each night the plan is to reopen it. We are hoping to possibly keep one lane open but we need to have that temporary access for the times they do have full road closures."
Scheit's report to council noted the grading of the intersection makes it difficult for water to drain properly, and is causing "considerable" pooling of water that has raised concern for the travelling public. The problem has also cost the town money in maintenance each year for patching, said her report.
She said construction work will begin this summer, which will include grading, asphalt and concrete work, and be completed later in the season. Her report noted when the project is finished the temporary access east of the Aspen Heights intersection will be removed by the town. All remaining construction materials will be salvaged.
The $150,000 cost of the project will be funded from the town's 2018 Infrastructure Improvements Project , which according to Scheit's report, is currently $500,000 under budget. The work is being added to the contractor already in place for the improvements project at 49A Avenue and 41nd Street.
