Road crews are working this week to prep for the next stretch of asphalt on the Fulford-Ganges Road project, according to the contractor, who said they have increased the number of traffic control personnel to help keep traffic moving safely and efficiently.
Northridge Excavating Ltd. project manager Bob Mitchell said the section of Fulford-Ganges Road between Alders Avenue and Beddis Roads is planned for paving Thursday and Friday, June 26 and 27, saying workers hope to avoid weekend operations.
“If everything goes as planned then there will be no work on Sunday, June 22,” said Mitchell. “Wish us luck.”
Out of caution, Northridge sent a notice Saturday, June 14, warning drivers to be on the lookout for road crews this Sunday.
Mitchell said paving preparations for the upcoming section have taken much longer than they expected, as they discovered ground conditions further up the hill didn’t lend well to maintaining unpaved surfaces for traffic to pass by — meaning more time spent keeping the through-lane up to par.
“Comparatively, the northern section was very easy to maintain while unpaved,” said Mitchell. “Our crews are monitoring the southern section closely and we are working hard to maintain the surface — please drive carefully.”
The next stretch of asphalt will be laid from the Beddis Road intersection up to Cranberry Road. Although no official date has been announced, prep and paving will likely go into the first weeks of July, after which the side road improvements, including new signage, paint markings, crosswalks and cyclist “refuge areas” will take place, with far fewer traffic impacts expected.
Work began last September on the 1.6-kilometre stretch of Fulford-Ganges Road from Seaview Avenue to Cranberry Road known locally as Ganges Hill, a $22.9-million project focused on an extensive underground storm sewer drainage system below the road but including a plan for paved shoulders for both pedestrians and cyclists — a 1.2-metre-wide shoulder heading north (or downhill into Ganges) and 1.8 metres in the southbound direction.