King Street has been undergoing a full structural rebuild as part of the province’s urban highway connector program (UHCP). This work has resulted in a full closure of the road between First Avenue Northwest and Fifth Avenue North.
The construction was scheduled for completion at the end of August, to avoid interruptions to students attending Weyburn Comprehensive School, however, delays have caused the project to be extended.
Communications Coordinator for the City of Weyburn, Paige Tenbult, says these delays are a result of unexpected structural concerns, compounded by weather interruptions.
“There was a part of the project where all of a sudden, we're going to be a few days delayed because of the underground structural concerns that came up, and of course, sometimes that isn't communicated right away. Well, then all of a sudden, you compound that with the heavy rains that we got.”
“For how big that project is, all that underground infrastructure starts to create problems. So, you're not just dealing with it in one spot, you're dealing with it in almost the entirety of that project.”
Weyburn Mayor Jeff Richards explains that timelines for these projects can be difficult to predict, as many factors are at play in determining a timeline, many outside of their control.
“Sometimes you open up a street and you don't know what you're going to find in there. Or sometimes a contractor has fallen short of staff, so they're not moving as quickly as they can. Or their subcontractor who they expected to arrive on Tuesday is a week behind, so they're not coming until next Tuesday.”
“None of it, I would say, is that anybody's up to anything or slacking. It's just what happens.”
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Tenbult describes their response to the delays, especially with students returning to school. She says they have been in contact with Weyburn Comprehensive School, Southeast College, and the Weyburn Police Service to create a traffic plan, stressing that any tampering with the work zone will only further delay the project.
“We recognize that this is a substantial inconvenience, especially for those kids who are not within the bus zone area and they're walking, it's a totally different way. We're hoping that we're able to make it a bit easier in the coming weeks, and we have some tentative plans in place as the project starts to near completion.”
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“That first week is going to be a lot, and I would just ask that parents - especially who are dropping off their kids, picking up their kids, the students who are driving - respect the work zone, respect the contractors in the area, respect the organizations like the schools, the daycares in the area, respect the residents that live over there. Respect is just my biggest message right now, and that will get us to the end point a lot faster.”
Mayor Richards acknowledges the inconvenience felt by those impacted by the delay, noting that they prioritize getting information relayed to the community.
“We've all done projects, even in our own homes, where you've ordered the thing, and it doesn't show up on time. It just happens and unfortunately, when it happens to the City, everybody knows because it's very visible, and it's incredibly inconvenient.”
“If I have to go a week or two without my nightstand, well, it's not too disruptive, but I have to go an extra week or two without my street, that's incredibly impactful, and we recognize that.”
Tenbult echoes the sentiment, also noting the importance of keeping the community up to date on projects that affect their lives.
“We recognize that a closure like King Street is heavily impactful to so many people's day-to-day, and it can be incredibly frustrating for us to say it's delayed a little bit longer. So we hope that the community understands why it's happening.”
A confirmed date of completion will be announced as soon as it has been determined.
