Willow Cale Road to be reopened
Enough progress has been made on installing a bridge across Haggith Creek to reopen Willow Cale Road to single-lane, alternating traffic by the end of the month.
The stretch had been closed for about six months, significantly increasing commuting times for many.
City hall sent out a flyer Friday, notifying affected businesses of the news.
It will be completely reopened once paving is completed this spring.
“It’ll still be a working construction site, so people will need to be careful along there,” city spokesman Mike Kellett said Monday.
Traffic will be crossing a new steel girder bridge.
A culvert beneath the road had deteriorated to the point where it caused erosion, prompting the work. It was originally scheduled to be completed in December but at the end of November it was learned there would be a delay in acquiring the girders.
“The manufacturing couldn’t occur until that time,” project manager Heather Robertson said.
A penalty was not levied for the delay.
“There are no penalties nor bonuses in our city contracts,” Robertson said.
In August, city council awarded a $2.5-million contract to Belvedere Place Contracting Ltd., which submitted the lowest of five bids to fix the sloughing.
It increased the total project budget to $2.8 million, roughly $1 million more than had previ- ously been budgeted.
“It’s quite the culvert that is down there and a lot of fill between that elevation and the new bridge elevation,” Robertson said. “It’s pretty impressive.” Since late September, the route has been closed at Penn Road, north of Haggith Creek, and at roughly 300 metres north of the city boundary to the south. Commuters were allowed to detour on Highway 97 South to Damms Road while heavier traffic has had to detour on Highway 97 South to Willow Cale Forest Service Road.