Consulting engineers working on next summer’s reconstruction of Algonquin Boulevard from Thériault to the bridge were told by city council Tuesday night that public communication is vital.
That 0.5-kilometre stretch will be closed from April to November next year, during the largest, most disruptive phase of Highway 101 Connecting Link reconstruction.
You can find out exactly how it will affect you and your commute Wednesday between 5:00pm and 8:00pm, at a public information centre at the Mac.
Mayor George Pirie told two representatives of consulting engineering firm Aecom that more open houses are needed, and consultation must be expanded.
“If I heard you correctly, you’ve invited all the businesses, I presume, along Algonquin,” he remarked. “I’d like you to consider extending that invitation to all the businesses along Riverside to Shirley, because they will be impacted by this as well.”
The mayor said drivers will use Shirley Street to bypass the construction zone, also bypassing the Riverside Drive businesses east of Shirley.
In the construction zone, light traffic will be re-routed to Wilson Avenue, and access to businesses established via side streets.
Truck traffic will detour via Shirley Street, Lafleur Drive and Laforest Road.
Councillor Rock Whissell is worried about Laforest, which is already in bad shape.
“It won’t last the summer, I guarantee you guys,” he told the engineers. “The road is not built for that heavy of transports and by sending them all down that road, we’re going to have issues throughout the summer and I know I’ll be getting some phone calls.”