With the construction on the regional waterline in full swing, residents may be noticing some changes as the project moves ahead.
Reeve Greg Sawchuk noted that while MD residents won’t be impacted as the route stays mostly on one side of Hwy. 28, Cold Lake citizens will be seeing some restrictions.
”There’s going to be lots on the go in the city, and you can see that there’s plenty of disruptions already there,” he continued.
Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland said the parties involved in the project have been working with city residents in certain areas, such as 16 St., that will face issues.
”It’s going to impact residents, there’s no doubt about that,” he noted. “But, the contractor and city staff will work with people to try and accommodate them as best we can.”
According to Town of Bonnyville Mayor Gene Sobolewski, who sits on the waterline commission board, the two components of the project are “slightly ahead of schedule and under budget” while upgrades to the water treatment plant in Cold Lake are just a little behind.
”Within a year, the commission should be done and we should be enjoying some very tasty water. The best water in Alberta,” he expressed.
The project is expected to wrap-up mid-summer 2020, and Copeland said everything could be finished by August.
When the water leaves the Cold Lake water treatment plant, it will go through a transfer station near 4 Wing Cold Lake and along Hwy. 28, before heading back to the Iron Horse Trail and straight to the Bonnyville pump house and reservoir.
A major component of the project that could cause congestion for Cold Lake is getting the pipeline from the water treatment plant to the trail.
”There’s a big dig on First Ave., right by the water treatment plant where the road is closed. They’ll start going down the back alley and up 16 St., head to the south, and then eventually cross underneath Hwy. 28 by the Dairy Queen and continue on the Iron Horse Trail,” detailed Copeland.
Work on the Cold Lake water treatment plant started in October 2018, while construction of the waterline was delayed to get Alberta Environment’s approval. Shovels were in the ground in the fall of 2018.
Regardless of the recent rain that slowed work in certain areas, Copeland believes “it’s progressing nicely.”
”They worked through the winter, as everybody saw along Hwy. 28, and so they’re doing a lot of continuing that work. They’ll probably go under the Beaver River, I believe, later in the fall and into winter,” he continued.
The upgrades to the water treatment plant are still considered a major part of the overall scope of the project. Some include a new membrane train, clear-well, transfer pumps, raw water pumps, and intake screen upgrades.
When it comes to the activity along the Iron Horse Trail, Marianne Janke, administrative coordinator for Alberta’s Iron Horse Trail Association, noted there was a plan in place to allow residents to utilize the route during construction.
”We had worked out ahead of time with the water commission and engineers to identify what the work schedule was, identify where detour routes needed to be put into place, and the signage that went along with that,” she explained. “As far as we know, it’s all been a smooth transition and trail users have still been able to use the trail because it’s open, and where there’s an active construction site the detour routes have been put into place and trail traffic just goes around it.”
With summer being one of the busiest times of year for the Iron Horse Trail, Muni-Corr is grateful that crews were able to accommodate trail users.
Janke stated, “We really do appreciate all the efforts of the commission and the engineers put into making sure that those detour routes were in place.”
Restoration of the trail is part of the contract, which means that it should be ready once the project is finished.
Sobolewski said, “The Iron Horse Trail is a vital partner in this, but we were going to be using our surplus materials to try and enhance the trail a little bit. But, we weren’t going to be rebuilding the trail.”
For any project along the trail, reclamation is an important aspect to include to ensure it’s ready once the build is complete.
”With any construction, whether it’s an oil pipeline being put in or anything like this, part of the agreement is that the trail restoration takes place as part of the construction,” Janke noted.
The City of Cold Lake will also have some reclamation to consider. According to Copeland, trees behind Tri City Mall had to be removed in the fall and winter to accommodate construction.
Any areas affected should naturally restore itself, he added.
”(City staff) will probably just reshape the ground, the soil, top dress it, and Mother Nature, I’m sure, will finish it off over time.”
Sawchuk said most MD residents have signed the right-of-way for the waterline, and as of a month ago, only one still hadn’t given them the okay.
An issue raised by drivers along Hwy. 28 has been mud tracked onto the road as a result of construction.
”When people are calling into the MD office, we’ve been forwarding them onto the contractor,” detailed Sawchuk.
Town CAO Mark Power noted it’s the contractors who are responsible for cleaning the highway.
Part of the $83-million endeavour is covered by the federal and provincial governments through the Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) grant. The Canada Water and Wastewater Fund is pitching in $32.4-million.
After nearly two decades of lobbying, Sobolewski believes “there’s light at the end of the tunnel” for the entire region.
”It will be a milestone and achievement that... I will celebrate, but for the residents, particularly of Bonnyville, and those that are going to be benefiting directly from the water, I think it was a long-time coming and everybody is looking forward to it.”
