With construction around town impacting the commute of daily drivers, the ongoing construction along 1st St. and Centre Ave. is impacting traffic along one of Cochrane’s busiest intersections.
A notice sent by PME Inc., the contractor for the project, to residents and local businesses in the area outlined that, weather permitting, underground utility work will take place from July 20 to Aug. 20, and they apologize for any inconveniences that it may create.
Co-owner of Pascal’s Patisserie, Lison McCullough, said the ongoing roadwork is causing access issues for anyone who regularly accesses those roads to travel, alongside their business.
“The construction on 1st East is causing access issues for everybody, certainly the residents who live here, the people who use Helping Hands, and of course the businesses here, we being one,” McCullough said.
Prior to construction, McCullough said did not receive any formal communication ahead of time from the town about the project or what would be taking place.
“We had the water crew show up the week before and they were looking at the water meter and how much water we use,” McCullough said. “When we asked them when we could expect things to happen [after] they came to do that, they said [that] they didn’t know.”
McCullough’s business partner, Pascal Bagioli, said that by the next day roadwork crews were already on site and removing the pavement off the streets. The following Thursday, the project manager dropped a notice to the business outlining the work that was taking place.
Although both McCullough and Bagioli are disappointed by the lack of communication from the town and the surprise development happening right outside their door, they understand that the ongoing work is both nasty, but necessary.
“As residents and a business, we understand that the infrastructure is necessary,” McCullough said. “As a business owner, . . . I feel, like I said earlier, that our feelings were hurt, because I would imagine that they have professional communicators that were hired by the town, to address the different constituents that this would impact.”
McCullough outlined that she simply wanted to be kept in the loop to better be informed about construction that could impact their livelihood.
“What we could’ve done is taken some action by being closed part of the time or taking our holiday around it,” McCullough said. “. . . A little heads up would’ve been welcome because we could’ve planned more.”
Additionally, both McCullough and Bagioli suggest the town put up signage, as proposed by the project manager that visited their business, that indicates that businesses along that street are open.
“We have customers phoning to ask if they can come because they heard somewhere that, for example, the post office was closed,” Bagioli said. “There’s plenty of wrong information, and nobody knows.”
Roadwork
In a correspondence with Kristin Huybrecht, the manager of intergovernmental relations and corporate communications for the Town of Cochrane, it outlined that the roadwork along both 1st St., Centre Ave., and River Ave. include a variety of projects this construction season.
It includes curb, gutter, and sidewalk replacement alongside the installation of a storm main and water main upgrade. It will also bury overhead powerlines and the widen of Centre Ave to two lanes on both the north and south, with an added intersection upgrade at Centre Ave. and First St.
“All work in this area is scheduled to be completed this fall,” Huybrecht said.
Alongside the many construction projects already underway around Cochrane, the Town outlined that there are measures in place such as traffic management plans, alternate routes, and coordination between projects.
“We continue to work to keep the community informed about these upcoming endeavours, acknowledging that they may temporarily impact routes but will ultimately result in long-term improvements,” Huybrecht said. “With a short construction season, project crews are working diligently to accomplish as much as possible while the weather is favorable.”
With residents vocal on social media regarding traffic concerns and congestion, Huybrecht said the Town genuinely understands and empathizes with residents on the topic.
“Construction can undoubtedly be disruptive in the short term, leading to potential inconveniences, such as traffic delays and detours,” Huybrech said.
To better help residents avoid traffic and avoid the delays during their daily commute, Huybrecht said the town suggest drivers to plan their routes ahead of time to avoid construction areas, consider cycling or walking whenever it may be feasible, follow detour signs and flaggers to ensure smooth traffic flow, and consider adjusting travel times to avoid peak construction time during rush hour.
Residents can also stay informed about road construction updates by visiting their official website and social media pages.
The Town appreciates the understanding, patience, and support of residents and outlined they will continue to keep the community informed about upcoming endeavours. Although it may temporarily impact the routes of residents, the Town assures it will ultimately result in long-term improvements.
“Remember, a bit of inconvenience today means safe, reliable and resilient utility systems and improved traffic flow for all residents in our community,” Huybrecht said.
Updates and closures
In a press release from the Town of Cochrane, with the improvements to Highway 1A nearing completion, the Town is focused on the next phase of Centre Ave. upgrades, with a full close at the intersection at Centre Ave. and First St. expected to take place in the coming weeks.
Depending on the weather, the work is expected to take around four weeks.
Executive director of development and infrastructure service for the town of Cochrane said the town understands the impact of closing the intersection, especially with the number of drivers that navigate the construction along the Highway 1A and Highway 22 interchange project.
“With our short construction season, we are looking to complete a number of critical projects to support the efficient flow of traffic as we head into the fall,” Hyndman said. “We understand that this work will temporarily impact routes but will ultimately result in long-term improvements.”
