It looks like the construction work that’s kept Scona Road and 99th Street closed since May could be completed within days, which is a couple weeks ahead of schedule.
When the Global One chopper flew over the area on Wednesday, it appeared as though the stretch of road under construction is nearly finished, with workers finishing up paving near Whyte Avenue, and preparing for lanes to be painted.
Fueling the speculation, one of the workers on the project told Global Edmonton on Thursday that crews are being pushed to have the road opened up by Sunday evening.
For business owners in the area, the news couldn’t come soon enough.
“It’s been a very long wait,” says Janette Atkinson, of Todd Cleaners. She claims she’s seen about a 40 percent drop in business since the construction project started.
Staff at the dry cleaner’s have compiled a list which shows details of about a hundred items being held for customers for months on end.
“My list is very long,” said Atkinson. “And I have been making calls and leaving messages. And people are just not coming in and picking up their orders. They’re even asking me on the phone, ‘when will the road be open?”
Aileen Newman, who owns a hair salon in the area, says her business has not been as affected as others, but she admits some of her clients have had a tough time with the detours.
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“Especially my older clients that are used to a familiar road. And once they have to come the unfamiliar way, it’s difficult for them,” she said.
The two projects, which the City was determined to complete during one construction season instead of two, were hampered by wet weather. However, even when drier weather returned, Atkinson believes it wasn’t always fully taken advantage of.
“They weren’t working full days on Fridays, and they weren’t really working Saturdays. And we had a lot of really good weather where they were just not on site working. Then, they picked up the speed in September.”
While city officials are remaining tight-lipped about the project, a news conference is scheduled for Friday.
One of the biggest changes motorists can expect to notice once Scona re-opens is a new south-bound lane from the James MacDonald bridge to Saskatchewan Drive.
With files from Vinesh Pratap, Global News
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