POLL: ‘Big Dig’ progressing along

“We have traffic lights just a block away (at Central Avenue and River Street), so let’s not impede the traffic. We do have a good flow going on River Street, so maybe what we’re going to do and we’re going to monitor that for a week and at our next meeting decide,” he said.

Dionne himself sat at the River Street West and First Avenue West intersection for 15 minutes and said he was amazed at the amount of traffic on River Street.

As well, Dionne plans to continue to hold meetings regularly with the Second Avenue West business owners who are affected by the lane closures. He has been asking the businesses about the effect the project is having on them.

“And that may change because we’re also encouraging the contractor, when they go for their break to go eat at those two restaurants,” Dionne said of the two restaurants located beside the construction zone.

“So, there’s going to be 40-50 guys eating there, you know, from the contractors’ side, so that may help it,” he said.

The City has reached out to the two contractors working on the ‘Big Dig’ project. He said the contractors could be part of the solution.

The project is expected to last into September and is aimed at replacing the more than century old water, sewer and storm mains under Second Avenue West. The road surface above will be repaved, and curbs, gutters and sidewalks will be replaced.

Dionne said last week`s rain slowed work a little, but the public really hasn`t seen the `Big Dig’ start. The work so far has involved SaskPower removing some of the light standards and some of its power lines.

Crews have also removed the sidewalks.

“We’re rebuilding that whole street,” Dionne said.

The City is now looking to put together a plan for long-weekend traffic. It has previously said that no construction work will take place on long weekends.

Dionne said the city got a break with the Canada Day holiday – it’ll fall on a Wednesday – so heavy weekend traffic isn’t expected. He said that for the August and September long weekends, however, the City will have a plan in place.

He is encouraging residents with ideas for how to handle the traffic issues arising from the ‘Big Dig’ better to call his office.

“Because some people come up with some really good ideas, and if you had put a sign right here or move that barricade over five feet, it would solve a problem. So I’m also looking to the general public for help, especially people who go across that bridge all the time.”

tjames@panow.com

On Twitter: @thiajames

by Thia James

POLL: ‘Big Dig’ progressing along

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