Highway work set to start

Bay City Contractors Inc. of Thunder Bay only has put up signage so far, but the real work on King’s Highway in the west end of town soon will become apparent.
“The plan is to get digging by Thursday [tomorrow] and getting the watermain in,” noted Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown, adding temporary water lines will be set up to supply neighbouring businesses and residences.
Temporary water services will be provided to any house or business that will lose water for more than eight hours, with restaurants having water at all times.
For any property that will lose water for less than eight hours, the contractor will provide adequate notification.
Construction will take place from 150 metres west of McIrvine Road to Keating Avenue, covering 625 metres of King’s Highway, noted Brown.
The project will include such things as the aforementioned 560 metres of watermain replacement, increasing the lane width to 3.5 metres, street light and traffic light relocation, as well as complete road reconstruction including grading and a new concrete curb and gutter, which is slated to be completed over the next two months.
The work also will mean the removal of five of the memorial elm trees, which will be replaced with smaller four-inch trees.
Laying the top level of asphalt and doing the landscaping will be completed in 2005.
Two lanes of traffic should remain open at all times, but if there is only one, at least two traffic patrollers will be used. Two lanes always will be open overnight.
A detour will be in effect for U.S.-bound traffic, which will be re-routed behind McDonald’s on Colonization Road West in an effort to at least clear the road to local traffic.
While he admitted motorists will be somewhat inconvenienced, Brown said the work being done is necessary. “It’s the busiest road in town. It’s unfortunate, but the infrastructure needs to be upgraded,” he stressed.
“We want to get in there, do the work, and get out as quick as we can,” he added.