It’s a $15 million beautification project in the city’s downtown core, meant to tie the Legislature to the rest of the area – but it appears the project has lost its lustre, before it’s even completed.
Construction on the Capital Boulevard project – updating 108 Street between the Legislature and Macewan University began in 2011, and was scheduled to be completed this year.
A major design feature of the updated street includes dozens of short granite posts, and no curbs.
The city said nearly 80 of the granite posts had been installed, and about one third have already been damaged or destroyed.
“If this was a sidewalk you would hit the sidewalk, if there was a curb,” Neisha Brown, a driver who struck one of the posts while trying to park, said Thursday. “Not like coming up smooth pavement and not knowing this is here.”
Jay Mohamad agrees, he’s worked in the area for years, and he hasn’t gotten used to the design.
“It’s a mistake in the design,” Mohamad said. “Originally, I’m a civil engineer, [the posts] are supposed to be a little bit higher, so the driver can see them.
“Even I hit one and I had to get my car fixed.”
CTV News asked Mayor Stephen Mandel for his thoughts on the design, he said he wants to know who is responsible for the idea of putting the granite posts, at $1,000 each, beside the roadway.
“We don’t approve designs, we accept our administration has the capacity to build something that’s sustainable,” Mandel said. “Obviously…this isn’t sustainable, and so someone needs to answer for this as to what happened, why it was this way.”
Mandel told CTV News he thought the entire design was disappointing, saying it’s not creative.
The City of Edmonton Urban Planning Branch said officials are reviewing the granite design features.
With files from David Ewasuk
