Angela Wilson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (July 17/02) - The city's construction projects are going well and are on schedule, says the manager of public works and engineering for the City of Yellowknife.

"So far, things are going rather smoothly," said Dennis Kefalas.

Construction around town Road paving Con Road: From Negus Place to Rycon North, and within Negus Place, Con Road is being reconstructed with a 1.5 metre sidewalk on inside part of the curve. Horton Crescent (Phase 1): Horton Crescent: Part of the crescent will be paved this year, with the remaining portion being done in 2003. A fire hydrant, vault and short section of roadway are being reconstructed. Road is to be paved, with rolled curb and gutter, and 1.5 metre sidewalk along one side. Johnson Crescent: Asphalt will be placed on Johnson Crescent once the fire hydrant and vault replacement scheduled for this year are completed. Four water and sewer services will be upgraded while the fire hydrant is being upgraded. Reconstruction and new construction 51st Avenue: Road reconstruction of 51st Avenue between 52nd and 48th Street, as well as replacement of the storm sewer. The work will include the sidewalk and the upgrading of street lighting. Downtown lanes: The lane between 48th and 49th Streets and the lane directly across from the Gerry Murphy Arena will be paved for environmental (dust) and maintenance consideration. Niven Lake: Portion of Niven Drive will be paved. Other work includes sidewalk, curbs and gutters. Water and sewer replacement: Work will be taking place on Forrest Drive from Burwash to Con Road and Forrest Drive North and Ptarmigan Road.

Construction on projects around the city began in mid-June.

"I think some of the contractors are having problems finding enough staff, but they're still progressing fairly well. They seem to be on schedule."

About $6.5 million has been budgeted for this year's projects. Kefalas said the work is also on budget. He also noted the amount of construction in the city is on a larger scale than in past years.

Bigger budget, more work

"It's somewhat larger than in the past," he said. "We had an increased budget for this year and we were able to increase the scope of our work."

A high priority this year is to replace the corrugated steel pipes that formed the basis of some of the city's sewer mains.

Corrugated metal pipe sanitary sewers were first installed in Yellowknife in the 1940s and continued to be installed until 1977. Corrugated metal pipes were the best choice at the time, said Kefalas, and were able to withstand deformations resulting from permafrost deformation or freeze/thaw ground movements.

This year, the water and sewer upgrade program will include replacing some of the city's older infrastructure in the Forrest Drive area from Burwash to Con Road and on Forrest Drive North and Ptarmigan Road.

The corrugated metal pipe sewer main in these areas was installed in 1973. Because of the age and type of the sewer line, the sewer pipe will be perforated and the bottom half will no longer be intact. Sewer pipes with corroded bottoms can lead to collapsed pipes which can cause sewage to backup, sometimes into the homes of residents in the area.

That's one of the reasons the project has such a high priority, said Kefalas.

"It's not an ideal situation for our residents," he said.

Poor circulation

Water circulation in the Ptarmigan Road area has also been poor and has relied on a circulation pump in a manhole for several years. If the recirculation system were to fail in the winter, the water main could freeze, which could cause it to be destroyed. The city standard for a cul-de-sac is to have a dual line looping system so water is always moving to avoid freezing up. The upgrading work on Ptarmigan Road will bring this area up to the city's standard.

Road improvements and paving are also important construction projects the city's working on said Kefalas.

"We're creating a safer environment for motorists and pedestrians," he said.

This summer, city crews are working to replace the roadway and storm sewer on 51st Avenue between 52nd and 48th Street, which is in poor condition due to the collapsing storm sewer. The reconstruction work will include sidewalks. Street lighting will also be upgraded.

Kefalas said that while the construction may be a bit of an inconvenience, it isn't something citizens are overly concerned about.

"I've received very few complaints," he said. "The people in the town are familiar with what's going on.

City construction is expected to begin wrapping up around Sept. 15.