Construction projects that were delayed by weather for more than a month are now in full swing, with the hope that they can be completed without further delays.
Work on extending 51 Avenue through the former Olds High School property south of Highway 27 between 50 and 52 avenues has started up after having been delayed for several weeks due to recent wet weather. Larry Wright, the town's director of operations, said the plan all along was to initially dig up 48 Street and then proceed to dig a new extension for 51 Avenue — as is being done now — to put in utilities, before surfacing the new link to Highway 27 and then finishing with a new surface for 48 Street. It's just taken much longer than originally hoped.
“As everyone knows the weather hasn't been too cooperative this year. We did suffer weather delays and … now we're getting on with it, and our servicing in that area is moving ahead rapidly now,” Wright said. “You should see significantly more work on that in the next two-and-a-half weeks. We'd (also) like to get a base down where the new road is proposed.”
Wright said the condition of the old asphalt at 51 Avenue and 48 Street wasn't good enough to be salvaged as it was, so it was “planed” and will be re-used elsewhere in the community for road base or trails.
Wright said the plan is to get 48 Street paved as soon as possible once the utilities are placed underground on 51 Avenue.
“I think (the construction) is going to be a really positive thing for the whole uptown core business area and circulation of traffic,” he said.
Other construction projects town staff had on their lists have either been completed or will now be going ahead as the weather improves. A project to re-pave McLeod Crescent was completed about a month ago, as was work on 65 Avenue near the protective services building. Projects on 53 and 57 avenues were also scheduled to proceed.
Work on replacing underground utility lines between 50 and 51 streets on 50 Avenue will commence in August following the conclusion of the World Plowing Championships. The work will be a continuation of a project that was started last summer.
New curb and gutter installations, as well as repaving, should also get underway on 57 Avenue north of the Olds Hospital and Care Centre in August in response to the new assisted living facility being constructed in the area.
