By Dana Reynolds

P.A. residents can expect drainage channel construction in February

Feb 4, 2016 | 4:08 PM

The city isn’t even waiting for the ground to thaw before it starts a new round of construction projects.

A contractor will begin work on P.A.’s drainage channel even before the spring break-up, capital projects manager Wes Hicks said. Construction will begin in February, with a likely pause in the spring as the ground becomes too wet.

Hicks said there will be no interruptions to traffic during construction, but there will likely be noise. He said residents will informed where and when work will take place through the city’s website and through press releases sent to media outlets.

When work is complete, the channel will be operational for another 40 years. The project is expected to cost $610,000.

The city created a drainage channel in 1976 as the neighbourhood of Carlton Park grew. Hicks said the particular contours of the land made a channel the best way to collect storm water in this area.

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At almost four kilometers long, the channel starts in the 300 block of South Industrial Dr., runs under Sixth Ave. E., through Prime Minister’s Park, Carlton Park and Crescent Acres, through to Muzzy Drive. From there, the channel becomes a storm main, outfalls in River View and travels out to the North Saskatchewan River.

Hicks said, over time, the channel fills with sediment and structures wear down. In 2015, the city found the drainage channels were in need of major repairs. Not only is the channel full of debris, but some culverts are bent, almost completely blocked, or existing pipes are near failure. If repairs are not completed, neighbourhoods and roads could flood.

The repairs to the channel include culverts under roadways, to large storm mains that drop into the channel, replacement of wooden drop structures that regulate the flow of water and the removal of debris and overgrowth.

Hicks assures residents any areas of park or green space damaged by construction will be repaired when the ground is dry. There are no plans whatsoever to remove trees and grass.

dreynolds@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @danitska