51st Avenue Construction Progress Report

Construction not likely to be finished by October 15th deadline

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), for the Town of Bonnyville, Mark Power, updated Council at Tuesday’s Council Meeting on the 51st avenue construction project. CAO Power had the unfortunate task of reporting that construction was not likely to be completed by the October 15th deadline and was not likely to be completed before snowfall.

“As of last week, [the contractor] acknowledged that they do not feel that it was going to be possible to get the entire 51st avenue done by the October 15th deadline,” explains Power, “there was some innuendo of possibly opening up an adjacent block to one of the three that are currently being worked on and approaching Council to that affect.” Power says this will likely be the next course of action for the contractors, “we would need fall to last until Christmas for them to be able to get the entire [roadway] paved.”

Power explains that he anticipates at least three of the five blocks of 51st avenue that are currently open will be “buttoned up” for the winter. “What happens on October 15th, penalties start kicking in, so we will start penalizing the contractor and they are aware of that.” With the impeding deadline the contractor has ramped up its efforts, “they have two crews in town, now, so they are making better time. But, there’s only a month of construction left – if we’re lucky.”

“Next year, we’ll be their number one priority because of the penalties,” Power says the contractor will have to return in the spring to finish at least two more blocks of work.