Construction season has begun in earnest in the City of Yorkton.
Two projects that have begun are the Mayhew/Darlington reconstruction project and the walking paths in and around Dracup Ave.
The Mayhew/Darlington project is in phase one, which will start with reconstructing the intersection at Mayhew Ave. and Morrison Drive. When that phase is completed, construction will move north, with a roundabout being built at the intersection of Mayhew Ave. and Darlington St. The third phase will go west, from Franko Drive to Dracup Ave.
The first phase is expected to be complete June 24, the second July 31 and the third Sept. 30. Completion dates are dependant on the weather.
One thing that Mayor Bob Maloney wants to stress is that people have to be aware of the detours and barricades, for their own safety and the safety of construction crews working on these projects.
“We have had problems with people moving barricades, we had people driving the wrong way down Broadway when we were doing Broadway, driving way too fast next to workers. We have to protect our contractors and our own workers who are out in the streets, we will be very diligent watching those construction zones this year. Slow down and obey the signs or get a ticket.”
The other project, the walking path north on Dracup Ave. with the pedestrian bridge and pathway scheduled to be complete this year. The bridge was started in 2020. Other pathways have been improved in the area already, including around the roundabout.
The goal is to extend the walking paths to extend to the Parkland College. Maloney said that want the city to be completely accessible for someone who is walking, and extending the trail north is another part of that plan.
“It would be nice to have a complete circuit of the city available where people can enjoy walking paths away from traffic... It’s proved really popular, you see people on walking trails, especially when you’re in Patrick Park playing disc golf, you see people on those walking trails all the time. It’s great to see young children, because you can get downtown all the way to the Dairy Queen and I think you have to cross one road. It’s very safe for families and children on bicycles, and it’s been well used.”
Another major project for the city is still in the destruction phase, as the Public Works building is set to be demolished before remediation and construction on the site can begin.
And the projects will keep coming, thanks to Municipal Economic Enhancement Program (MEEP) funding. The recently announced funds were effectively “found money” said Maloney, and it’s also money they have to spend quickly, as they have to get projects underway by 2021. The projects will be before open council at the next meeting, and have been tentatively approved in-camera.
The projects will be $1.5 million of asphalt overlays, or 5 kms of roads that will undergo a “shave and pave.”
“Really, really gratifying that this money has come through, I think it’s a great investment and a lot of communities are building something right now. Which is good because it gets people working, our concrete plant will be going all out because we have building projects going on in our community.”
MEEP funding will also fund $500,000 in replacement of water mains. The city also plans on doing signage, landscaping and beautification projects that money is hard to come by to fund, said Maloney, to the tune of $350,000. The final details of the plan will be presented before council next meeting on June 22.
