THUNDER BAY – Road construction on Legion Track Drive is underway after significant delays, with the City of Thunder Bay estimating work will be complete by the end of October.
The road serves the Delaney Arena and Fort William Stadium.
Matthew Miedema, project engineer with the city's engineering division, said the delay is due to some "juggling" of different priorities with the contract earlier in the year.
"There were some other delays with material arriving on time, so [it] pushed it back a little further than we’d like,” he said. “It is underway now and we’re hoping to keep pushing through and get this done as quickly as possible.”
Miedema anticipated having the project, which is part of the city’s Pollution Prevention and Control Plan, wrapped up by the end of October.
“They still probably have a few more days' worth of piping work to do. Then it’s on to the restoration and final landscaping and paving,” he said. “The trench work hopefully wraps up this week, then onto the curbing and then landscaping and paving.”
Miedema said he is aware of some community concerns with the timing of the project coinciding with the recent start of the football season.
“It is unfortunate we are at this point where there’s events going on in the stadium, and, also with hockey coming up, the rink will be very busy,” he said.
“So, we do appreciate the public’s patience during this time as we finish the work up."
Miedema says there is currently access off of Victoria Avenue to the parking lot, or off of Brunswick Avenue and behind to the gravel parking lot.
“We'll work with the contract much as possible to maintain access to the parking areas and get people in and out as safely as possible,” he said. “But there will be some delays as lanes are restricted, so be patient as you try to leave and come and go from the rink.”
