Driving in Antigonish will get easier as construction projects wrap up soon.
Mayor Sean Cameron shares with us how the Town planned to minimize driving delays this time around after last fall’s traffic chaos.
“We tried to do it this year so that we were staggering each project. But because of some delays, some projects got overlapped, but that’s well within our reach,” he expresses.
Cameron explains how the construction projects will last long-term.
“These are long-term improvements, like they’re 25-year projects. So, hopefully we won’t have to break up and tie up the traffic on these streets again. We did the subterrain work as well as the surface work,” he reassures.
“If you’re going to do it, you do it right the first time and we’re going to ensure that that happens.”
West Street Project
Cameron believes West Street from Highway 4 to James Street is in its final stages and will reopen to vehicles by the end of next week.
In the meantime, the Town says there will a full detour will remain intermittently during the day throughout the week with line painting will take place between Highland Drive and James Street on Saturday, July 25.
Two coats of asphalt and the curbs are in, so it’s just putting the sidewalks and adjusting new fire hydrants left to do, according to Cameron.
The mayor says that water and sewer lines were replaced to support population growth before completing necessary groundwork which saves them from having to tear it up again in the future.
Bay Street Project
“We call it the Bay Street because we broke it into two sections: from the bridge to the tracks and then from the tracks to up past the hospital,” explains Cameron.
He is expecting Phase 1 of the Bay Street Project on East Main Street between Haley Road and Adam Street to be completed in the next couple of weeks.
Cameron says they built up that road two or three feet in some sections where the road typically floods to prevent water from pooling.
A brand-new cement sidewalk was also constructed on the north side of that street.
Water and sewer lines were replaced before completing the groundwork for the Town to avoid having to tear it up again later and ensure it supports future population growth, according to the mayor.
The remaining work is just minor asphalt finishing and line painting.
The Town is determining when Phase 2 will begin over the next year or two, once there’s an alternative route to the hospital in place.
Cameron says Phase 2 will give us an improved sidewalk by relocating power poles from the middle of sidewalk which currently makes navigating with baby carriage or wheelchair very difficult.
St. Ninian Street Project
Cameron says they’re extending the existing Active Transportation (AT) trail from the West Street and Holland Drive intersection to along St. Ninian Street to join to Church Street.
He reassures commuters that this project will not affect vehicle traffic and is removing the existing sidewalk and replacing it with asphalt.
He expects it to be completed by the middle of September.
