SUNDRE – With the municipality’s anticipated underground infrastructure upgrades now getting underway along Highway 27-Main Avenue, motorists are advised to anticipate traffic disruptions and thus factor in additional travel time with traffic on the high load corridor being temporarily reduced to one way.
Work began this Sunday, Sept. 24 on the first phase of a multi-pronged project that will ultimately lead to Alberta Transportation completing an overlay of the highway with permanent roundabouts.
“The first phase will include traffic and lane closure set up, removal of the existing temporary roundabouts to accommodate removal of underground infrastructure, new infrastructure installation, and temporary pavement for the winter season,” reads a portion of a statement posted on the municipality's website.
Work will proceed for as long as conditions allow, with the first phase expected to be completed by next spring.
“Temporary traffic controls will be in place over the winter and until permanent roundabouts are installed,” reads part of the statement.
The second phase will be comprised of the corridor's surface rehabilitation, which will include installing three permanent roundabouts in the downtown area along with a new set of traffic lights at the intersection of Highways 27 and 760 that will pending successful completion of Phase 1 begin in 2024.
The third and final phase is slated for 2025 and will involve the construction a two-lane roundabout at the intersection of highways 22-27-584.
Motorists are above and beyond being reminded to factor in additional travel time also encouraged to drive cautiously and obey all traffic systems and controls to ensure the safety of construction crews.
Alberta Transportation initially announced last year plans to begin the overlay project this construction season, but that part of the multi-phase project was pushed back to ensure the municipality first had an opportunity to complete its own upgrades to underground infrastructure.
The municipal council earlier this summer approved a substantially increased cost to the original estimate of upgrading water and wastewater lines under the high load corridor.
