Now that reconstruction of the Portage Avenue underpass has resumed, town managers took time at Monday night’s council meeting to remind the public that there will be some restrictions on vehicle access to and from the north end of town during the work.
Starting yesterday, Portage Avenue from Third Street East to Fifth Street East will be restricted to emergency vehicle traffic only from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday to Thursday, and on Fridays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., for the next seven weeks.
During these times, public vehicular traffic must use the McIrvine Road crossing instead (the town is hopeful that with the 9 a.m. start time on weekdays, motorists will be able to use the underpass to get to work and school).
One lane of the underpass will be open from 8 p.m.-9 a.m. on Sunday to Thursday, and from 4 p.m. on Friday to 9 a.m. on Sunday, for that seven-week period.
Fort Frances CAO Mark McCaig stressed this daily road closure is necessary to protect the health and safety of the public during the removal and installation of temporary sheet piling.
(A similar daily traffic restriction will be needed for a two-week period in the fall to remove the temporary sheet piling behind the newly-constructed retaining wall).
“There’s some pretty dangerous activity going on in regards to the removal and installation of some of the shoring in the area,” McCaig noted.
“Last year, the contractor advised us of one incident in particular, a traffic accident right in that area, and the contractor feels that in the interest of public health and safety, that the area be closed to general vehicular traffic [during the specified hours].”
McCaig stressed all emergency service agencies are aware of the situation and have taken steps to ensure they can access the north end of Fort Frances during this time.
“They have constant, consistent radio contact with the operators on site so if they do need to use the [underpass], equipment can be moved in a very short timeframe, and the vehicles can access the north end of the community through the underpass,” he explained.
As well, alternate provisions (such as using the Victoria Avenue crossing) have been made to ensure they continue to have access to the north end should the Portage Avenue route be unavailable.
“As a matter of fact, emergency personnel were present there [Monday]. They drove the vehicles over the crossing at Victoria to make sure they could pass,” noted McCaig, adding there’s new combination locks for the gate at that crossing.
All emergency personnel have the combination so they can open it and cross the tracks if need be.
McCaig also said if some unforeseen circumstance barred passage via the underpass for an extended period of time, emergency services even could have a vehicle parked on the north side of the tracks to service that part of town.
McCaig said the town realizes the project is an inconvenience for the public, and the traffic schedule is “is not an ideal situation,” but noted the work “is not the run-of-the-mill job.”
He added the job has been on the books since 1999 and has to get done.
“That underpass has deteriorated and we can’t wait for something catastrophic. This job has to be done at some point,” stressed McCaig. “It’s a tight area in there—we’ve got big equipment in there, the shoring is 40 feet high, we have to move power lines and everything else to put it in and get it out.
“So to think we can quickly and easily get in there and keep one lane of traffic always open—we’d like it to happen, but we’ve been advised that it’s not prudent.”
Operations and Facilities manager Doug Brown noted a pedestrian walkway always will be maintained and clearly marked during construction, and pedestrians are urged to use it.
He added the east side will be open until the new walkway on the west side is ready, at which time the work will flip over to the east walkway, which will be demolished and the road widened.
Crossing the train tracks is not permitted and will be considered trespassing by the CNR.
The underpass project is expected to take 25 weeks, wrapping up by the end of October, said Brown.
At Monday’s council meeting, north-end resident Larry Wood asked why barriers, pylons, and signage were set up at the site back on May 20, then taken down the next day.
McCaig said the site was set up prematurely by contractor JTJ Contracting, explaining the town still had to meet with the contractor to work out an updated construction schedule, as well as consult with emergency service providers regarding the access plan.
Wood also asked why work would resume each Sunday at 9 a.m. when so many people would want to get to church.
McCaig replied it was decided the best time for crews to stop working was Friday afternoon and Saturday, as that’s expected to be the busiest time for traffic (e.g., tourist traffic to The Beer Store).
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
