EDMONTON – A stretch of downtown Edmonton is once again under the microscope after photos of crumbling concrete on the newly-constructed Jasper Ave. streetscape were shared online.
On Jasper Ave. and 101 St., part of the sidewalk is visibly crumbling.
There are also areas within a few blocks where the concrete is cracked and benches are broken.
“We really, as a city, have to pick up our game,” said City Councillor Scott McKeen on Tuesday.
“I think downtown is really important I think it has to shine.
“I don’t want to see Jasper Avenue get forgotten,” he added.
It’s been roughly five months since the last barricades and construction equipment were removed from the road following the two-year streetscape project, which cost an estimated $20 million.
READ MORE: Jasper Ave. reopens to traffic Wednesday
The work included replacing the central median with a five-lane roadway, adding turning lanes, creating wider, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, and adding new benches.
During the project, traffic in both directions was reduced to one lane on Jasper Ave. between 100 St. and 102 St.
READ MORE: Jasper Avenue business owners seek compensation
The city says it will send out a crew to inspect the damage and determine if it is covered under warranty. If it is, the contractor will be responsible for repairs.
“I want to know what happened,” he said.
“If that’s new construction then there’s a problem with, I would say, with the way the contractor was doing the work.”
“I suspect there’s warranty on this work and we’ll get them back out to fix it, or we’ll fix it and charge the contractor,” McKeen added.
Meanwhile, businesses that were already affected by construction are worried more could be on the way.
“Now that I’ve seen the crumbling, it does worry me as far as what the future looks like for more work or what not,” said DeDutch’s Jeff Van Den Biggelaar.
“They were doing concrete work in the wintertime so there were tarps up in front of our doorway along with fences… It just made it harder for people to find us.”
READ MORE: Significant delays with Jasper Avenue construction
The initial streetscape project includes street lamps and flower pots that have yet to be installed.
“This better look good and it better look like a walkable street,” said McKeen, “because if it doesn’t, we won’t get the business investment we want.”
“I’d like to see street sweeping right now, not after the last possible snowfall it seems like,” he said, adding that’s a discussion he’d like council to have.
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