Preliminary work is currently underway to repair an additional 21 problem areas along the Bearspaw Feeder Main at 33 Avenue NW. Construction will last for one month and will affect Bowness residents.
The work is scheduled to last from August 21 to September 26. It began on Wednesday with concrete and asphalt cutting. Starting next week, Calgary residents will be back under Stage 4 outdoor water restrictions and voluntary indoor water conservation to conserve available water supplies.
This work is expected to continue through the weekend, when city workers will erect safety fences around the repair sites. Excavation work will then begin on August 26. This will involve removing soil and gravel around the pipe sites, installing trench boxes and pouring concrete over the repaired pipe sections.
At the heart of the complex work is the desire to ensure that it is carried out safely for both the construction workers and the affected residents, Calgary city officials said.
“The reason I’m here is safety. I was the repair manager for the five hotspots we repaired on 16th Avenue in June, and I just want to make sure everything is safe. It’s a dynamic, moving construction site,” said Darren Finney, manager of the City of Calgary’s wastewater and stormwater department.
He said crews would be working around the clock on repairs over the next month, although not necessarily 24 hours a day.
“If we pour concrete and just wait for the concrete to dry and harden, we’re not going to have anyone sitting here all night watching it dry,” Finney said.
The City will assess whether residents have any special access needs during this time, but the goal has been to ensure that access to homes remains intact throughout the repair work, even if it is not necessarily possible to access the driveways.
“The plan is for them to have access to their home. They may have to park off-site or on a side street or in a back alley or something, but the plan is for them to have access 24 hours a day,” Finney said.
“We erect fences that partially restrict access to houses. So we adapt our fences and ensure that people have access to their houses.”
District Council: Access to residential areas is the biggest concern for residents
First District Councilwoman Sonya Sharp said her office has received numerous calls, emails and direct messages on social media from residents of 33rd Avenue NW about the repair work.
“The biggest question I get on the street is about accessibility. A lot of older people live on the street, and so we want to make sure they know how to get home? How to get to their vehicles? Moms and dads with small children and bucket seats,” Sharp said.
“It’s going to be different. You’re not going to just pull out of your driveway, drive off and carry on with your daily routine and take your kids to school. You might have to walk or walk to get home with groceries. What does that look like? Those are things we’ve heard.”
She said she has also heard from residents about what safety will be like in the event of an emergency if vehicles such as fire trucks have to enter the community.
“Of course, the city is working on all of this. Safety is the number one priority for this road and we need to make sure you can live your life as best as possible while construction is happening – it will not be your normal life,” Sharp said.
She said the City of Calgary’s message is to thank them for putting up with the water problems all summer.
“My second message is that even if you don’t live in Bowness, Montgomery or Parkdale, please understand that these people have been through a lot and we just need your help a little longer to comply with the restrictions and start construction,” Sharp said.
“That means crews come in, repair and come out, and there’s a time limit on that. We always say it’s difficult to put a time limit on construction, but we need to be in and out of that area by the end of September.”
City of Calgary holds local media responsible for safety on construction sites
The City of Calgary took aim at the media as part of its safety messaging on Wednesday, blaming the presence of cameras and drones at construction sites during repairs on 16 Avenue NW for safety concerns.
“I found that the workers were distracted by the cameras because they’re not used to cameras. So when the guy is using the saw blade at 2,000 rpm, he’s busy looking at the reporter and not concentrating on what he’s doing. So once the fences are back up, it’ll be easier,” Finney said.
On June 13, an industrial accident occurred during repairs to the 16th Avenue supply line when a chain broke while workers were installing a metal collar on a section of the line.
Finney also targeted the media to take photos and videos of the initial road construction work during a pre-scheduled City of Calgary press event. The City of Calgary invited Calgary media to come by and take photos and videos of the work in progress.
“It’s a dynamic, moving site and all that. I’m glad I came early because I saw a lot of things you did that are good examples of what not to do when you’re walking on the road in traffic. Remember, there are still people living here trying to get in and out of the apartment buildings,” he said.
During the morning construction work, workers held up stop signs to block traffic on the road.
“I just have to ask you to stand back a little bit if you want to take photos and stuff. Like before, a city photographer will come by every day to take photos and make them available to you. The city will be doing drone flights like last time and we will also make that video available.”
The city said further details of the work would be announced on August 22.
