Sherbrooke to invest $41.2 million in roads, parks and water
The City of Sherbrooke officially launched its road construction season on Wednesday afternoon, announcing that the city will undertake more than 171 road, waterworks and park maintenance projects over the coming months at an estimated cost of just over $41.2 million.
“We are continuing our efforts to maintain our infrastructure in the best state possible while also taking our taxpayers’ ability to pay into account,” said Sherbrooke Mayor Steve Lussier.
Major projects in this year’s plan include the resurfacing of Beckett Street between Musset and Duvernay Streets, the resurfacing of Cessna Street between Baron and Vénus Streets, and the resurfacing of Duplessis Street between Goddard street and Highway 610. Many side streets in the city are also being completely or partially rebuilt including Atto Street in Lennoxville, Benoit and Corbeil Streets, Dieppe Street, Elm Street, Des Erables Street, La Dauversiere street, Bocage Street, Jolliet Street and Bocage Street.
The city will also use this year to complete another 2.75 kilometers of its Rene Levesque Boulevard project.
At the same time as the announcement about upcoming projects, the City also launched a new interactive map tool to help improve communications about road works with the population. The map is currently online at sherbrooke.ca/travaux and features information in French on every project expected to take place in the city over the course of the coming months.
Caroline Gravel, Director of the City’s Urban Infrastructure Division, explained that the map differs from those used in years past in that it is updated in the moment by work crews on the ground and can be automated with updates on holidays and the weekends, making its information more up to date at any given moment. It will also integrate all work projects in the city, not just those done by municipal crews, in an effort to provide the most accurate picture possible of what interruptions drivers can expect on the roads.
In Lennoxville, the map shows resurfacing work planned on Cardinal Lavigerie, Downs, Parkdale, Robert Peel, Mitchell, and Glenday roads as well as major reconstruction projects on Atto, Samuel Gratham, and Connolly Streets.
According to Gravel, people living on the streets that are being rebuilt will need to prepare for periods of time when they will not be able to access their homes by car. Although walkways will be established to maintain access, the director said that people need to be prepared to walk up to 200 metres from their vehicle to their home.
With regard to Atto specifically, Gravel said that the City has heard the concerns of residents that were expressed last year regarding the width of the street and that the street will serve as a pilot project in the city for building narrower streets. Although the city of Sherbrooke has a default road with of 10 metres, the director said that the department is currently in the process of adjusting its policies in order to open up the possibility of making narrower roads. She was not able to say at this point in time how much narrower the road will be than the standard, but she said that this information will be confirmed at a later date.
Gravel was also unable to confirm whether the reconstruction of Atto Street will include the installation of a sidewalk.