NEWS RELEASE
April 9, 2021
For immediate release

Cold Lake, AB – The 2021 summer construction season will be a busy and rewarding one, with over $4 million in roadway and trail improvements confirmed and set to begin soon.

The annual Capital Road Improvement Program will see $2.2 million invested to repair and extend the life of asphalt on roads deemed to be high-priority areas.

“We use computer software which takes into account the amount of surface stress placed on each road, along with a formula to measure how fast the asphalt deteriorates,” explains Chief Administrative Officer Kevin Nagoya. “The program analyzes the road conditions and helps us determine which roads should receive resurfacing in order to preserve the pavement for as long as possible, before it requires a more expensive full reconstruction.”

The contract for the roadway improvements was awarded to E Construction of Cold Lake. Priority roads identified for 2021 include:

• 55 Street (55 Avenue to 27 Avenue)
• 51 Avenue (49 Street to 51 Street)
• 50 Avenue (38 Street to 41 Street)
• 58 Street (47 Avenue to 48 Avenue)
• 19 Street (7 Avenue to Ptarmigan Crescent)
• 5 Avenue (16 Street to 18 Street)

Along with the annual capital road improvements, the City also received $1.8 million in one-time funding from the Government of Alberta through the COVID-19 Municipal Stimulus Program. The City provided approximately $446,000 in top-up funding for a total investment of $2.2 million. Projects funded under this program and scheduled for completion this summer include:

• 42 Street (50A Avenue to 51 Avenue) – overlay and sidewalk replacement
• 43 Street (50A Avenue to 51 Avenue) – overlay and sidewalk replacement
• 50A Avenue (42 Street to 43 Street) – pavement rehabilitation and sidewalk replacement
• 43 Street (51 Avenue to 54 Avenue) – overlay and sidewalk replacement
• 1 Avenue (Tamarak Street to Spruce Street) – overlay and sidewalk replacement
• 52 Avenue (39 Street to 40 Street) – pavement rehabilitation and sidewalk replacement
• 12 Street (11 Avenue to 16 Avenue) – overlay and sidewalk replacement
• 50 Avenue (57 Street to 58 Street) – pavement rehabilitation and sidewalk replacement
• 3 Avenue (21 Street to 22 Street) – pavement rehabilitation and sidewalk replacement
• 54 Avenue (51 Street to 54 Street) – pavement rehabilitation, sidewalk replacement, storm line upgrade and manhole replacement.

In addition to the above road projects, the City is also set to begin significant improvements to Cold Lake’s trail network, with a $900,000 investment which includes nearly 2 kilometers of asphalt resurfacing. Several sections of the Millennium Trail have been identified for pavement upgrades. The funding will also pay for new connections to the trail network including Ecole Voyageur School, and English Bay Road and 1 Avenue, which will provide trail access to the Lake Avenue and Lakewood subdivisions. The trail improvements are partially funded by the federal Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), which is available for communities with public transit systems. The City was able to purchase a third low-floor accessible transit bus, which is expected to be delivered in late summer. The residual funding from this program was transferred to a Resiliency Stream, which the City will use to complete the trail improvements. The contract was awarded to Urlacher Construction of Cold Lake.

“We are going to see significant construction activity throughout the community this summer and it’s going to cause some delays and inconvenience for residents, there’s no getting around it,” says Mayor Craig Copeland. “But it’s short-term pain for long-term gain. We just ask our residents to be patient, pay attention to construction signage and flaggers, and leave a little extra time to get to your destination. When all these projects are complete, the condition of our roads and trails will be significantly improved and the sacrifice will have been well worth it.”

Construction work is expected to begin in late May once the spring thaw is complete and asphalt production plants are operational.

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