It’s down to the still-under-construction finish line for the Northwest Anthony Henday Drive project, but the project’s deputy manager insists the road will be open on time.
Under the $1.42-billion contract signed three years ago, Flatiron Graham Parsons has until Nov. 1 to finish the 21-kilometre project, including all 29 bridge structures and eight interchanges.
Deputy project manager Mark Basher said the company is pulling out all the stops to get the project done and he is confident they will make it.
“The plan is to have traffic running unimpeded on the main line by the first of November,” he said. “We are taking every opportunity we get. The weather has been kind to us lately. We are working every single day from now until total completion of the project.”
The stretch set to open will run from Yellowhead Trail to Manning Drive and will include local interchanges at Campbell Road, St. Albert Trail and Ray Gibbon Drive.
The last stage of the ring road, taking the project from Manning Drive, is currently waiting for tenders from three pre-qualified bidders. Those are expected next spring.
Basher said uncooperative weather has hampered the project, leading to the big push to the end.
“The start of this construction season held us back significantly, we ended up with significant rain events right through the end of July.”
Alison Burns with Alberta Transportation said the province expects the contractor to make their deadline and there are penalties if they miss it.
The contract the company agreed to included a 30-year agreement to maintain the road with monthly payments for maintenance to 2041. Burns said if the company misses the Nov. 1 deadline they would miss out on those maintenance payments until the work is completed.
She also said those payments are pro-rated so the company begins losing part of its fee if the project is even one day late.
Burns said she could not reveal the amount of those monthly payments because it would reveal the breakdown of the company’s bid and their bidding strategy. She said the $1.42 billion includes the maintenance sum and was the lowest bid the province received for the road.
The contract includes side roads like Campbell Road and Basher said he expects that road will also be open, but admits it will be down to the wire.
“We will be starting the last of asphalt next week, there may still be some minor activity the week after next, but it is going to be very close.”
Basher also warned drivers that the road will open in stages on the first day and likely won’t be ready for its morning rush.
“It is going to take some time to open. It will be after lunch before we start actually opening things to traffic.”
