Construction on McDonald Drive in Old Town will no longer take place during the Ramble and Ride festival, thanks to a change of plans by the City of Yellowknife.
City spokesperson Sarah Sibley confirmed on Tuesday that construction will begin the week of Aug. 1. Previously, work on the road was expected to begin this month and would not be finished before the Ramble and Ride festival on July 29-31.
”The section of McDonald Drive this project focuses on sees significant ongoing heaving. These road upgrades are intended to extend the useful life of the road and reduce ongoing maintenance costs,” she stated.
Sibley added that the work will take roughly four to six weeks to complete.
Prior to Tuesday’s announcement, the city tried to reassure business owners and Ramble and Ride organizers that the festival would still be able to go ahead despite the construction.
In an email to Grogono, Mayor Rebecca Alty stated the contractor was aware of the festival and would take steps to ensure construction work wouldn’t interfere with the event.
She said the stretch of road where the festivities are taking place at the end of the month would most likely be resurfaced with gravel by then.
“The condition of McDonald Drive required upgrading given the condition of the roadway, the lack of drainage and the amount of maintenance the city has had to put in to addressing issues,” Alty explained in her email to Grogono. “The current condition is also causing big issues for public transit given the heaves and bumps impact city busses and cause mechanical issues that interrupt transit.”
Revitalizing Old Town
Local business owners and organizers of this year’s festival were concerned roadwork taking place at the same time as the Ramble and Ride would jeopardize the festival.
Jo-Ann Martin, co-owner of Bullock’s Bistro and president of the Old Town Community Association, said although she understands the need for regular repairs to city infrastructure, “I just wish there was more communication with all the parties involved.”
A project plan, prepared by Stantec, identifies a roughly 300-metre stretch of road from about 3,503 to 3,524 McDonald Drive as the project site.
Both Ramble and Ride volunteer coordinator Nancy Vail and Old Town Glassworks president Matthew Grogono questioned why the city chose to repave this particular stretch of road.
“I think this is pretty OK compared to many other areas,” said Vail.
Grogono said the city should instead repave the stretch of McDonald Drive immediately south of the planned work area.
Although Vail is happy to hear news of the city’s paving delay, she said the controversy over the roadwork is part of a larger issue.
“This isn’t just about the road; this is really about revitalizing the arts community in Old Town and Old Town itself,” she said.
The city needs to focus on preserving the neighbourhood rather than modernizing it, she contended.
Grogono said many questions still remain about the roadwork: “Why are they digging up the road in the first place? What is the plan? Are they going to dig up the road and redo it exactly as before? They’re ad-hoc responding. It isn’t an intelligent response.”
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