Maple Dr. will be receiving some well-deserved updates to make the road a little friendlier to both motorists and pedestrians. “First and foremost, Maple Drive is long overdue for paving. A primary outcome for this project is making those road repairs and actually paving the road. The repairs are expected to extend the life of Maple Drive approximately 15-20 years,” said Engineering Services Manager for the City of Lacombe Jordan Thompson.
Thompson added that the other major objective for the project is creating pathways and sidewalks for pedestrians in the area. “At present, students and residents must walk on the road surface itself to navigate that corridor and the road is quite narrow at points and pedestrians must share the road with motor vehicles.”
The project began in 2013 when the City of Lacombe approached the Canadian University College (CUC) and the Seventh Day Adventist Church to define a solution that would work for all parties. Last week, bidding was completed and a contract was decided on. This means construction can begin in as little as a week.
Work north of the physical education centre of CUC is expected to be complete before the end of August. The remainder of the work south of the complex is expected to be completed closer to mid-October.
Citizens are reminded all construction timelines are tentative, and are subject to change due to weather and other factors.
“One of the benefits is that there will be a fresh road surface, and that’s something that many residents and motorists have come to the City and mentioned that it’s obviously overdue for paving.
“It’s something that will benefit the community. The pedestrian pathways also certainly provide a separate area for them to utilize so that they don’t have to walk on the roadway surface and share the road,” said Thompson.
The goal of updating Maple Dr. is to help save the road from damage caused by the boost in traffic since the closure of the Hwy. 2 access north of 58th St.
In addition to the Maple Dr. changes, the City is working on the annual edits of the Ten Year Capital Plan. This document is reviewed each year to ensure necessary changes can be budgeted for, planned and set in motion.
Thompson reminds citizens also that when the annual budget is published, people are encouraged to come forward with suggestions or concerns.