The snow and cold temperatures are usually a sign to drivers that the road construction season is over, but this year that’s not the case – as it’s merely slowed down a number of projects in the capital region, meaning traffic delays will continue.
While drivers have dealt with snow and ice on the roads, they have also had to avoid graders, windrows – and construction sites.
A number of construction projects that were scheduled for completion in November have been delayed.
For a project on 112 Avenue, between 82 and 76 Streets, crews had one section left to pave.
“With the snowfall, that’s hampered our opportunity to open the barricaded lanes that are there right now,” Paul Szczepanski with the City of Edmonton said. “Those lanes will be open by the end of next week.”
Crews will return in the spring to put the finishing touches on the job.
Downtown, where barricades on parts of Jasper Avenue have been up for some time, city officials meant to open the two lanes of traffic at the end of the month.
That worksite is now covered with snow and ice, although the work continues – and it’s not clear when the barricades will come down.
“We are working with the contractor to see what kind of impact it is going to have and what we may have available to us, to try and recover in some fashion,” Szczepanski said.
The same is true for road widening efforts on Anthony Henday Drive, where third lanes are being added between Callingwood Road and Whitemud Drive.
The province is in charge of that project – and officials met with contractors Friday afternoon – where they decided to continue working on the project.
“Paving is obviously dependent on moisture content on precipitation and temperatures,” Jeanna Friedley with Alberta Transportation said. “We can still do some paving work, as the temperature drops; it just takes a little more time.”
That project was scheduled to be finished on November 15 – the province expects work to continue past that date.
With files from Amanda Anderson
