Motorists travelling downtown may experience traffic slowdowns once again on St. Ann’s and Alder streets.
While St. Ann’s, Beech, Dubeau, and Alder are all still open to traffic, construction crews have been back working in the area and are expected to remain there through the week. That’s because some minor tweaks are being made to the St. Ann’s block project as it nears completion.
Some of the new sidewalk panels are being replaced because pedestrians stepped on the sidewalk while the concrete was still setting. Any panels that have footprints or issues with the surface finish are being re-done. The city says the project contractor is also repositioning paving stones at the St. Ann’s and Alder Street crosswalk as some of the stones shifted over time time and because of wet weather when sections of the granite blocks were first placed.
Having the contractor reposition them will result in a smoother more level surface for pedestrians, according to the city. All of the final touches to the project come at no extra cost to the city. This isn’t the first time that portions of the city’s $4.05 million downtown revitalization project have had to be adjusted.
A few months ago crews had to shave down the corner at the bottom of St. Ann’s and Shoppers Row after complaints from the public that the corner stuck out. The jutting slab of concrete posed problems for city bus drivers who had to either turn into oncoming traffic on St. Ann’s to make the right-hand turn off of Shoppers or move into the straight-through lane on Shoppers in order to make the turn. The downtown project involves upgrades to sewer, water, and storm drainage, new road surfaces, new trees lining Alder, St. Ann’s, and Beech streets, new sidewalks and public areas. The project is supposed to complement the new Seymour Pacific headquarters building currently under construction on the same block and make the downtown more walkable and pedestrian-friendly.