The Town of Ponoka announced on Aug. 4, the 51 Avenue Redevelopment Project is nearing completion and the roadway is now open to traffic.
For business owners on the street who have endured temporary road closures for over a year, the end of the project can’t come soon enough.
“Another day (week) of the closed street. What a painful process this is,” said Sharon Weibel, owner of The Raspberry Patch, in a social media post on July 2.
The first phase of the project began on May 26, 2022.
The redevelopment of 51 Avenue included extensive underground and surface infrastructure improvements.
In 2022, the road between 50 Street and 51 Street was excavated and the aged underground sewer and stormwater connections were replaced.
READ MORE: Redevelopment of 51 Avenue in downtown Ponoka to start next week
Phase 2 of the project began on May 8, 2023, starting with the removal of the temporary sidewalk and the installation of the permanent one.
The rest of the work completed in Phase 2 of the project during the 2023 construction season included:
• redevelopment and design improvements to the municipal parking lot on the south side of 51 Avenue;
• the final layer of asphalt paving on the roadway and line marking;
• installation of pedestrian crossings;
• landscaping including new shrubs and trees; and
• installation of benches and garbage receptacles.
51 Avenue now features mid-block pedestrian crossings, new sidewalks and curbs with rolled edges for wheelchair accessibility.
Starting next week, the final line painting and markings along the roadway will be completed.
