LAC LA BICHE - Main Street construction has been progressing well and is on track to being completed by Oct. 31, says Ali Memon, an official with Lac La Biche County.
On April 23, the current phase of the $32.5 million Main Street Revitalization Project got underway, with orange cages going up around the block of Main Street from 101 St. to 102 St.
“We have overcome many weather challenges to remain on schedule despite rainy periods in the summer,” Memon told the Lac La Biche Post newsroom on Aug. 8.
While things are going well in that regard, according to Memon, due to the need to order in specialized materials, there have been some supplier delays. However, he confirmed, these delays have only impacted the aesthetic elements of Phase 1, and not the overall construction or road opening date.
As far as what work is being done right now, Memon said soil cell construction is wrapping up. These, he explained, are the structures placed beneath the sidewalk that will house the tree roots. Also currently in progress is the underground electrical work, which distributes power to the tree receptacles, decorative lights, traffic lights, and streetlights.
“Once this is complete, crews can start installing more gravel base, followed by concrete curbs and sidewalks,” Memon said.
According to Memon, all the hard surfaces must be completed before the onset of winter. Some decorative features as well as vegetation rely on warm enough weather to be completed, so some of the finishing touches are also weather-dependent. Unless the area experiences an early winter, he continued, the County’s goal is to have the current phase wrapped up for the winter.
The feedback from businesses this year has improved, Memon said. He explained that while there are still challenges to deal with, learning the specific preferences of businesses and behaviours of the public over the last year has allowed County officials to become more proactive this year.
“We feel the business community also learned from last year and were able to prepare for these challenges,” he said.
Over the past few months, there have been biweekly meetings titled ‘Conversations with the Crew’ held at businesses in the construction zone designed to give community residents and business owners an opportunity to discuss matters related to the Main Street Revitalization Project with the construction crew.
Memon said while these meetings have not been regularly attended by the public, they will however continue to ensure that members of the project team are available for questions when they arise.
Following these meetings, he added, the consultant project management team has been going door to door to the businesses as well to speak directly with the impacted businesses, as it can be difficult to make time for a special trip during work hours.
