Saskatchewan Avenue W project to begin last half of Phase 2

Councillor for the City of Portage la Praise whose portfolio covers the Saskatchewan Avenue West rejuvenation project is Terrie Porter. She gives an update of the project and notes all should be finished this October. 

"Hopefully, if all goes well, they'll be finished by early October of 2024. Phase 1 was the resurfacing for 4th to 7th, and that construction is completed in this area. They're about more than halfway through Phase 2 and that's the roadway reconstruction from 7th West to 20th St. West."

She notes it's approximately a $41 million project and the province would cover the final $20 million. The rest of the funding would go into the city's long-term debt, but there is no increase to our taxes.

"Phase two of the roadway and the hard landscape work was complete around the north side of Saskatchewan Ave. West from 7th to 20th. This spring, they're going to focus on the soft landscape work on the north side of Saskatchewan Ave.; that's the street, the trees, the shrubs, and the sod on the north side. Once that's done, we'll move to the south side of the Ave. That's going to be the roadway renewal and the replacement of the existing asphalt, parking, reorganizing the curbs, defined approaches, and medians."

This includes work on the new sidewalks, accent paving, lighting, street trees, and soft landscape planters with benches. 

"Then finally, they will do the new bike lanes at the sidewalk level from 8th St. NW to 18th St. Northwest, with a multi-use path at the sidewalk level from 18th St. to 20th St. Northwest. It's a lot of work, but we're more than halfway through this. Once this Phase 2 is done, they'll work on Phase 3, which is from 20th St. W to Elm St. That part features the vegetative or the structural bioswales."

Porter adds Phase 3 also includes work from 20th St. to Elm St. The existing asphalt will be milled down, land drainage, parking, new pathway sidewalk level, new medians and trees, and bioswales adjacent to the roadway. 

"That's going to take up pretty much all this year on that. But in the meantime, emergency service will still be maintained through the duration of the project and there will be dialogue from the communications team that will communicate throughout the project to assist owners, residents, and visitors through the end of our construction. So, hopefully, weather permitting, we can grow through this year."