Frustrations voiced over construction delays on stretch of Stony Plain Road in Edmonton

Valley Line LRT construction has ripped up part of Edmonton’s Stony Plain Road, and for people who live there, trying to get around has been a maze.

The work in the area of 131st Street to 139th Street was supposed to be finished by the beginning of November, but now it’s looking like that won’t be until the end of that month.

Anne Hill has lived in the area for decades and said it’s annoying.

“You know, I would say maybe June or July next year, that I might believe, and that would just be the end of the beginning,” Hill said.

“It’s worse than anything else in terms of disrupting traffic flow.”

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Marigold Infrastructure Partners is the company doing the work and said in a construction notice that it ran into challenges. It said early in the season, construction work exposed existing infrastructure that wasn’t deemed adequate and needed to do unexpected work.

Weather also was challenging, with wet conditions making large vehicle access difficult. These large vehicles are needed for dry utilities and concrete work.

Another issue was a skilled labour shortage.

“Might there be a labour shortage, yes, but at the same time you have to be prepared for what you have to do for work to make sure you’re hitting those milestones,” Coun. Andrew Knack said.

Knack said there are financial implications for companies missing deadlines.

“This is going to hurt their bottom line, because if they are not hitting their milestones, they are missing out on payments from the city,” he said.

Knack is putting forward a motion to city council on Wednesday to help businesses that are directly affected because of construction delays.

“I think it’s important for us to support the small businesses that really do rely on this and can see a dramatic impact.”

Marigold crews are expected to complete a majority of permanent works by the end of the season. Anywhere that is not finished will have temporary asphalt to open the road to motorists over the winter season.