Red Deers new Northland Drive highway express project shaping up. Highlights• This project is needed to provide access to the northeast and northwest City growth areas, to relieve future congestion on Gaetz Avenue and 67 Street intersection, to relieve congestion on existing roadways, and to function as a bypass route for highway traffic. • This project also includes significant utility (storm and sanitary) components to service the growth areas of the City and region.• The City has has partially approved funding from federal and provincial governments and is continuing to pursue special funding for this project. • Construction on this project will be staged over a number of years, with Phase 1 spanning 2011-2016. The Engineering Services North Highway Connector project is a large scale multi-year transportation and utilityproject that was originally approved in the 2007 capital budget. Project OverviewThe North Highway Connector project is needed to provide major road access to new residential and commercial development areas in the northeast quadrant of the city and to provide connections to major employment areas in the city’s northwest area. It will span from the Gaetz Avenue / Highway 11A intersection to 30 Avenue and includes the portion of 30 Avenue from Northlands Drive to 67 Street. It also includes major utility work including regional sanitary trunks, East Hill Sewer trunks and treatment pond, a future river siphon (pipe system under the river), three new bridge structures, approximately 6 km of new three lane expressway, and the reconstruction of the existing 67 Street / 30 Avenue intersection.This project is comprised of two phases. Phase 1A includes a major earth moving operation, major existing utility relocations, land acquisition, and new utility installations all scheduled for completion in 2012 which is now completed. Phase 1A will also include a wildlife crossing structure.Phase 1B, which is scheduled to begin in 2014, includes the Northland Drive Red Deer River Bridge, CN Rail bridge, 6 kilometres of 3 lane expressway, extension of 30 Ave from 67 Street to Northland Drive and reconstruction of the 67 Street / 32 Avenue intersection. Phase 2, which is not part of this capital project, is scheduled to begin after 2017 and includes work on Northland Drive from Gaetz Avenue to 30 Avenue making the three lane expressway into a four lane. It also includes the initial two lanes of 20 Avenue between 67 Street and 19 Street. Timing of this expansion will consider need, opportunity, and funding ability. Budget Requirements and Council Decision PointsA change of scope and scheduling, both driven by grant conditions, has resulted in this project being completed over a longer time period than previously identified. Council previously approved the Phase 1A road component for a total of $81,860,000 and $19,900,000 to construct the major utility components that are included in this project. The one additional funding amendment required as part of the 2011 Capital Budget is an additional $4,300,000 expenditure required for the front ending of the regional sanitary trunk to be constructed in conjunction with Phase 1A. The source of funding will be a customer contribution from the South Red Deer Regional Wastewater Commission. The work on the project is expected to be completed sometime in 2016. More to come. -RDTN
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 20:10:50 +0000