It wouldn’t be summer in Manitoba without street construction crews redirecting traffic or slowing down the daily commute. At least one major repair and a variety of minor repairs are planned for some of Niverville’s residential streets, coming in at a collective cost of $1 million.
During the months of July and August, residents living on Edelweiss Crescent, Church Avenue, and Errington Way should prepare for some temporary inconvenience.
Edelweiss will see a complete street rebuild for a short stretch along the southwest section. The west half of Church will also be completely rebuilt.
The installation of a new concrete drainage swale is planned for Errington next to Hampton Drive. This will include the removal of existing asphalt and a resurfacing of the entire street.
Around the beginning of June, two blocks of Fourth Avenue South will undergo a major overhaul, long awaited by area residents. The project, initially planned for 2023, was curtailed due to unexpectedly high construction estimates.
Between the intersections of First Street South and Third Street South, homeowners along Fourth Avenue South can expect more than just a street surface renewal. Once complete, the two-block stretch will include new sidewalks, curbing, and land drainage piping. As well, a parking lane will be created.
Grassy boulevards along each side of the street will be relandscaped.
“New driveway sections will match existing driveway construction as much as possible and new driveway grades will be constructed to match new street grades,” says Cyrus Reimer, director of communications for the Town of Niverville. “As well, the Fourth Avenue Bible Church parking lot will be reduced to one or two access points off Fourth Avenue instead of access along the entire parking lot.”
Reimer says that poor drainage along this stretch has been a major culprit in the street’s deterioration over the years. The street surface, too, has long passed its expected lifespan.
“Fourth Avenue South is one of the oldest streets in Niverville,” Reimer adds. “The town had planned to fix the road years earlier but knew that construction was going to happen, thus it was decided to delay the rebuild until the construction was complete.”
Reimer refers to the construction of apartment complexes located at 74 and 93 Fourth Avenue South. These complexes began construction in 2018. Large trucks and heavy equipment worsened the infrastructure issues in this part of town.
Even so, Reimer says the cost of street repairs and maintenance along this stretch will be borne by the taxpayers and not the developer, especially in light of the condition the street was in prior to the build.
And thanks to the addition of the two apartment blocks, the taxbase along this stretch has grown from 18 homes to 85 homes.
Of course, new developers aren’t completely off the hook for infrastructure development. Reimer says that capital development fees are attached to every new house or building permit issued, and those funds can be used for projects such as street repairs and maintenance.
“We want to bring Fourth Avenue South up to modern design standards,” Reimer says. “I want to thank those who live on [the street] for being flexible and understanding during the reconstruction of this street, and we hope that they will be able to enjoy the newly constructed roadway to its fullest extent once it is finished.”
If you’re a resident living in any of the proposed construction zones, it’s important to understand how to properly navigate the street while it’s under repair.
As for parking and accessibility, the contractor will be responsible for providing the town office with written traffic control and pedestrian accommodation plans.
Council asks that residents make every attempt to respect traffic control signs and delineators which are there to provide efficiency for the work and safety of all.
If residents living along the construction areas have any mobility concerns, they are asked to contact the town office in advance of the work so the developer can be notified.
“Flexibility and understanding will be required in this process, as there are many factors that influence when access will be available or not,” states the town’s website.
Special access will be granted to residents living in the apartment complexes along Fourth Avenue during construction. For a period of time, they will be allowed to use the parking lot of Fourth Avenue Bible Church as a thoroughfare to and from home.
Garbage collection along construction routes will not change. Residents are expected to drop their bins at the usual collection point. The contractor will be responsible for taking it to a designated pickup spot for Bristal Hauling and then return it to the property owner after pickup.
