Overnight Grind and Patch to Begin August 21 in Downtown

Tuesday, August 15, 2017 - 10:00 AM
Grind and Patch

Grind and patch operations in the downtown core are scheduled to begin Monday, August 21, 2017 at 11 p.m. Overnight roadwork has often been suggested by the public as a means to reduce traffic congestion and the inconvenience, however the City has been hesitant to approve work due to noise and increased costs.

The current contractor for the City’s Streets Rehabilitation Program, Pyramid Construction, has expressed the desire to perform grind and patch operations in the downtown core during the overnight hours, from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Grind and Patch operations in the downtown core (Water Street, Duckworth Street and New Gower Street) traditionally cause a tremendous amount of traffic congestion as these streets are narrow and are busy in all directions during almost all hours of the day. The contractor feels that any increased costs to them for working during the overnight hours will be offset by the increase in productivity by avoiding the traffic congestion.

Meters will be bagged in the construction area to ensure that the crews have access to the full roadway, including parking spaces.

As the grind and patch program is considered a mobile operation, the noise created by the construction should only be for short durations. The affect to nearby residents is expected to be no greater than the overnight snow clearing operations during the winter months. The work itself is expected to require four nights to complete.

The City apologizes for any inconvenience and looks forward to hearing from the residents and business owners in the downtown as to whether or not this program is successful.