BUILDING THE FUTURE
Construction is underway at the site of Maple Leaf Pool on Monday. City officials hope the $80M construction season with multiple projects will help boost the economy.
From rebuilding Maple Leaf Pool and restoring the glockenspiel downtown to a myriad of road work and other infrastructure projects, city construction continues in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City of Regina recently announced the kickoff to the 2020 construction season with the investment of $79.5 million for transportation, water, wastewater and drainage projects.
“The City’s construction program provides an important boost to the economy, as well as longterm benefits to the community, such as improved drainage and an extended life cycle for our roadways,” Mayor Michael Fougere said in a news release “This program supports our community and provides crucial employment during these challenging economic times.
“Due to the COVID -19 pandemic, our timelines are shorter than usual this year, therefore, it was critical to implement strategies for increased efficiency and a reduced impact to citizens,” Fougere added.
Strategic approaches for the 2020 construction season include: Incentive or milestone payments for the completion of work in contracts; allowing variable hours of work including nights and weekends; using a variety of construction techniques to help reduce duration and disruptions; and advancement of construction and maintenance projects in areas like the downtown to take advantage of the reduced congestion on local roads as many residents are working from home at this time.
The city has also implemented new working procedures and protocols for contractors and work crews in response to COVID-19.
For example, since work began last month on the $5.3-million Maple Leaf Pool renewal project, additional safety measures and site monitoring was put in place to ensure a safe work environment for contractors. Measures include appropriate physical distancing between workers on site, adherence to handwashing protocols, additional cleaning of shared surfaces and personal protective equipment.
The contract for the construction work was awarded to Westridge Construction Ltd.
Meanwhile, June is the target date to see the completion of work to return the glockenspiel to the northeast corner of City Square Plaza.
For more information on city construction projects and related road closures, go to regina.ca.