A four-month-long inconvenience to Turner Valley motorists, merchants and residents is short-term pain for long-term gain, according to the Town’s director of development and infrastructure.
Motorists are hitting the brakes due to construction on the wastewater and storm water lines along Sunset Boulevard in a $4 million project that began May 3 and is expected to be complete mid-September.
“We’re doing the project in a way that is going to minimize the duration of disruption for the town,” said the Town’s Michelle Ouellette. “It’s obviously going to be inconvenient for residents, but it’s a short-term gain for a very long-term gain.”
Sunset is being excavated in three phases to replace wastewater and storm water lines, as well as some sidewalks.
Ouellette estimates the sanitary infrastructure below the road dates back to the 1930s, and that the new sanitary and drainage infrastructure will last 80 years with proper maintenance.
The waterlines will not require updating for some time, she said.
While pressure testing, acoustic testing and visual testing its water, sanitary and sewer mains in recent years, the Town identified Sunset as a top priority due to collapsing clay pipes, infiltrating ground water increasing sewage treatment costs and ongoing damage from growing tree roots.
“It’s a main piece of infrastructure for the town overall,” she said. “It is part of the living system underground that needs to be replaced in order to support development of the town in the future. We see it as a really good strategic benefit. It has multiple long-term benefits.”
In addition to upgrading the wastewater and sewer system that services subdivisions to the town’s south side, Ouellette said drainage will be added for nearby Gooding Lane - which runs parallel to Main Street. She said there is no drainage system in place for the road, just overland drainage.
“That’s an economic development move for the town to support new development with modern drainage infrastructure,” she said. “It will capture runoff from rain events and snow-melt.”
Once the underground work is complete in each phase, a single layer of asphalt will be placed, said Ouellette. When all phases are complete, a final layer will be added at the end of summer – restricting all traffic and parking on the road until complete, she said.
Turner Valley Mayor Barry Crane said when construction began last week, public complaints soared on social media. He’s encouraging residents, merchants and motorists to be understanding while navigating detours, one-way directional traffic and inconvenient parking situations.
“Closing a provincial highway for three months is a major implication for people who live along Sunset,” he said. “Businesses are on the forefront of our minds so we want to get construction past the businesses ASAP so they can return to normal operations.”
Crane said his eight years of municipal politics taught him the importance of open communication, and he believes this is one project where the Town and council could have done better.
“Administration has known there’s been an issue with Sunset for two years and has been working on funding models and construction costs,” he said. “We believe we under communicated to residents and businesses. We probably could have done a better job of giving them a true look at the enormity of the project a little earlier. It came as a shock to residents and businesses that this project was bigger, and more complicated, than was previously thought.”
Access to Sunset businesses will be by foot temporarily, said Crane, with parking available at the St. George’s Anglican Church, Sheep River Library, Flare ‘n’ Derrick Community Hall and Dr. Lander Memorial Outdoor Swimming Pool parking lots.
The first phase of construction from Main Street west to Hubert Street is estimated to take place early May to June 19. Residents can park on Sunset west of George Street.
During the second phase from Hubert Street to Robert Street - estimated to occur June 21 to Aug. 5 - residential parking will be available on Sunset west of Robert Street and east of Hubert Street.
For the third phase from Robert Street west past John Street - estimated to occur Aug. 6 to Sept. 11 - residential parking will be available on Sunset east of Robert Street.
During each phase of construction, the entire width of Sunset will be inaccessible. Access to the rest of Sunset will be for local traffic only.
Crane’s message to motorists during construction is to drive with caution on the detour routes.
“You’re driving through neighbourhoods with kids,” he said. “Please be respectful and patient. Do not speed. Fines will be enforced.”
The cost of the project will be covered by approximately $1.8 million in grants, $1.3 million in reserves and $500,000 by Alberta Transportation.
Project details can be viewed at https://turnervalley.ca/sunset/
