Drivers can expect detours into neighbourhoods when major rebuilding of 32nd Street gets underway early next month in Red Deer.
Crews are adding turning lanes and other improvements at the intersections of Spruce Drive and 40th Avenue. However, the major work will involve completely redoing the road that’s been around for several decades and sees about 30,000 vehicles on it every day, said City of Red Deer transportation engineer Michael Williston.
“We understand it’s going to impact a lot of people, but people want to see this — they want to see 32nd Street fixed,” said Williston on Tuesday. “And the good news is that it’s going to be basically done this year.”
The major road upgrade will start just west of 47th Avenue, heading east to just past 40th Avenue. It involves replacing part of the road.
“We’re actually digging down a foot for the entire roadway, both the north and south side,” said Williston. “It’s a major reconstruction effort.”
The traffic detours will begin in early September, weather dependent.
Crews will shut down the south side of 32nd Street first, so that there would be two-lane traffic on the north side of the road. Then the construction will switch to the north side.
No widening of the road is occurring, Williston said.
Each phase of construction will take about a week.
“Access to the neighbourhoods will be changing as the detour goes along because we have to shut down the road in segments,” said Williston.
Detours will be marked. There will also be lots of advance warning with signs, including at Taylor Drive, so people can choose to take other routes, Williston said.
A lot of drivers use 47th Avenue to shortcut to Bower Place Shopping Centre, but that access will be temporarily closed except to local traffic. Drivers will have to use Gaetz Avenue instead, Williston said.
“When we get to the 40th Avenue intersection (for rebuilding the road), we’ll have to shut down half of the intersection to do the work that we need to do,” said Williston.
Some drivers are now heading into Sunnybrook to avoid the 32nd Street and 40th Avenue intersection.
The city dropped off about 1,200 mailouts to residents in Sunnybrook, Mountview, Anders and Morrisroe who would be directly affected by increased traffic. More focused residential updates will occur leading up to the major reconstruction start-up, Williston said.
The budgeted $9.2-million improvements will see right-turn lanes built at 32nd Street and Spruce Drive westbound.
Right-turn lanes will also be built at 40th Avenue — for eastbound 32nd Street traffic heading onto southbound 40th Avenue, as well as for drivers on 40th Avenue who are turning onto westbound 32nd Street. Turn lanes will be done around the end of August, but they may not be fully open to traffic then.
Left-turn bays will be extended — for northbound 40th Avenue traffic as it turns left onto 32nd Street, and for westbound 32nd Street to southbound 40th Avenue.
As well, a three-metre-wide asphalt trail will be placed on either side of 32nd Street from Spruce Drive to 30th Avenue. It will replace the sidewalk on the north side.
It’s expected the bulk of the road project will be done by the end of October.
The top layer of asphalt paving would be left until next spring.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com