Residential roads to get $61-million makeover
Sidewalks in ‘poor condition’ to be upgraded in conjunction with repaving of local streets
The focus of city council’s more than $61 million investment will go toward improving 205 residential lane kilometres.
Some streets and sidewalks in Saskatoon’s residential neighbourhoods will get a makeover this year under the 2017 Building Better Roads campaign.
By the end of 2019, the campaign is expected to result in the rehabilitation of around 635 lane kilometres. It includes major investments in Kelsey-Woodlawn, Nutana, Parkridge, Lakeridge and Mount Royal.
“The focus of city council’s more than $61-million investment will go toward improving 205 residential lane kilometres in more than 44 Saskatoon residential neighbourhoods (this year,)” said Jeff Jorgenson, general manager of transportation and utilities.
“That means that more than half of all city residential neighbourhoods will see some improvements to roadways or sidewalks.”
The investment in upgrades to sidewalk infrastructure is unprecedented, Jorgenson said. Upgrades to areas deemed to be in “poor condition” will occur in conjunction with repaving of neighbourhood roads; those portions will be completely re-poured rather than fitted with an asphalt top.
Jorgenson said Saskatoon can also expect improvements to the intersections at 22nd Street and Diefenbaker Drive and 51st Street and Warman Road.
Much of the work in residential neighbourhoods will coincide with upgrades to water and sewer infrastructure.
Residents, especially those living in neighbourhoods getting water infrastructure upgrades, can expect restricted access to streets and street parking once the work gets underway.
“What construction companies and our team have done is stage, cycle and co-ordinate the activity so people can have reasonable access to their homes,” Jorgenson said. “It’s going to be inconvenient for a period this summer, but when the work’s done we won’t be back there for many, many decades.”
The program began in 2014, after road conditions were identified as the most important issue affecting the city in a 2013 civic services survey. The city has since reduced the average roadway treatment cycle from once every 83 years to once every 18 years.