By Darren Rathwell

Roadwork woes: detours to continue in Medicine Hat

Oct 20, 2021 | 5:30 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Street construction typically goes hand-in-hand with summer but this year the roadwork season is continuing well into fall in Medicine Hat for a number of reasons.

For example, a worksite just popped up at Division Avenue and 20th Street N this week, resulting in a detour at the Family Leisure Centre.

The city says a few factors that come into play in scheduling such a project late in the year.

“We try to bid these jobs.. in packages. So we’ll finish one job and move over (to another project). That helps us get a better deal (and) operators aren’t moving in and out of town,” Pat Bohan, director of city assets for the City of Medicine Hat said.

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Perhaps unsurprisingly, warmer weather also helps keep construction workers on the job, patching and paving roadways.

But many projects this year wouldn’t have been possible without a sizable allocation from the federal and provincial governments of $18 million.

“That was actually an awesome addition to our capital portfolio, but it did throw in a bunch of more projects for us that disrupted the community quite a bit,” Bohan said.

Among the various projects is a valve replacement that’s been ongoing for “a couple of months” at Third Street and Division Avenue SW, not far from the Swirls Ice Cream shop.

“It can get a bit noisy as you can tell but we’ll joke around (with customers), oh look at the noise,” Taryn Boschee, Swirls assistant manager, laughed as a heavy machine rumbled by, also saying the construction hasn’t slowed business at the shop.

Road crews at the site came across infrastructure at least 80 years old, which Bohan says has slowed the project, which may continue for another three weeks.

Meanwhile, not all projects are operated by the city, including a conspicuous job just metres from a medical clinic on South Railway Street where a CP Rail gas well is being remediated.

“We had hoped to see that project wrapped up this week but were advised CPR’s contractor will likely be on hand until the end of the month,” Bohan told CHAT News.

Yet more roadwork is planned to start later this week, including the painting of street lines.

But if you’re like the staff at Swirls, taking the road of acceptance about ongoing roadwork is the way to go.

“I’m glad they’re working on (the project on Third). And it seems they’re almost done here,” Boschee said.