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Rain delays Boudreau construction

Rain has set back roadwork by nearly a week; completion estimated for end of August
SA Boudreau Closure DR70
Traffic delays along Boudreau Road are expected until the end of August. DAN RIEDLHUBER/St. Albert Gazette

Those caught sitting in traffic in the construction zone on Boudreau Road may be wondering what the hold-up is, and the answer is rain.

Road rehabilitation efforts between Sir Winston Churchill Avenue and Sturgeon Road have been frustrated by near-constant rain, and the estimated completion date will be closer to the end of August now.

“This has been probably one of the poorest years in the last, I guess, three to five years, where we experience rain almost every other day,” project manager Garry Dang-Vuu said. “There’s nothing we can do in that; we don’t want to open up the roadway and compromise the adjacent infrastructure as well.”

Dang-Vuu estimated the project has been set back about six days, just because of rain.

The roadway is being given full-depth recycling (FDR) treatment, which the city tried out for the first time last summer on Villeneuve Road.

The curb and gutter were replaced earlier this week, and after the concrete sets FDR treatment is set to begin. No work is scheduled over the long weekend.

Transportation and infrastructure engineer Brett Newstead said replacing the curb and gutter also contributed to the delay, because it was not part of the original plan.

After the FDR begins, it should be clear sailing – weather permitting, of course – and the road tear-down should be complete after 10 days.

“If you know anyone who can turn the water off, (the treatment) should start this week,” Newstead said.

FDR is a specialized process that mixes the existing roadway into the granular below, after which oil and water is added, which becomes the newer, stronger roadway. It is also capped with asphalt once it's done.

Newstead said a stronger treatment was required than traditional mill and inlay, which failed to work in 2012. This is because a lot of buses and heavy traffic use that portion of Boudreau Road to reach the Anthony Henday.

Dang-Vuu said motorists should continue to be mindful of the construction zone.

“Just please be respectful of the work zone and please obey the signage,” he said. “We appreciate the delays but it’s very inconvenient for all of us.”

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