Construction crews on a downtown worksite are scrambling to bring a major roadwork project back on schedule, after some work was delayed due to weather.
Officials said Jasper Avenue between 100 and 102 Streets will be reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction while crews work on rehabilitating Central LRT station and the Jasper Avenue streetscape construction project.
Work is expected to be completed on schedule by October 2013.
However, the city said work is 8 weeks behind schedule, partially due inaccurate construction records for the Central LRT station.
“When we are doing the excavation and construction work we have had to make adjustments to the construction approach, to the excavation approach, as well as having to do some of the redesign,” Roads Design and Construction Director Paul Szczepanski said.
The delays were also caused by weather, which included rain in July, and early cold weather along with freezing rain and snow in October and November.
In an effort to get the project back on schedule, crews will take measures to make paving possible on the north sidewalk of Jasper Avenue over the winter.
“We will be instead working through the winter, heating and hoarding to get the north side of Jasper Avenue completed,” Szczepanski said.
In the meantime, the city said officials are trying to work with area businesses to lessen the effect, as paving work will effectively block off access to some parts of the street.
“In some cases we’ve had opportunities where we could adjust the actual time of our construction with their business to reduce the impact on them,” Szczepanski said.
Once paving is completed, traffic will be moved to the north side of Jasper Avenue so crews can begin excavation on the south side of the road – the change is expected in the spring.
With files from Amanda Anderson
