A clearer picture of two public works projects now in the full swing of construction has emerged after the most recent session of Jasper Town Council.

Environmental Services Manager Ken Quackenbush gave an update to council about the progress of the Connaught Drive median construction and the pedestrian underpass under the CN Railway line at the July 20 meeting of town council.

On the Connaught Drive construction, the bulk of the town’s work is scheduled to finish at the end of this month.

Quackenbush explained that landscaping work is all that is left to do on the median. Town work to lay down new power cables and base structures for new street lights is now complete. He said once the new trees, shrubs and bushes are in the ground, then the street should be opened up fully again and the orange pylons now slowing down traffic will be taken away.

However, he also said ATCO Electric, the main energy provider in Jasper, will still have to make some asphalt cuts to the road and will also have to raise the new lights for the street at some point after July. He anticipated both of these projects should go fairly quickly (no more than a few days), but he was unsure when ATCO was going to schedule the work.

Mayor Richard Ireland said the work on Connaught Dr. was never meant to stretch into July, nor August.

Quackenbush said that was true, but part of the problem was that there were difficulties tracking down some of the materials used in the construction and landscaping (some incorrect trees were ordered). As well, ATCO was late in starting their work, which stretched the schedule out longer than anticipated, he said. While ATCO was not fully to blame, said Quackenbush, they were at least partially responsible.

On the underpass heading beneath the CN rails near Hazel Avenue, Quackenbush said the bulk of the work was expected to finish at the end of this upcoming August. The ceiling for the actual walkway is now nearly complete and once finished, the work on the retaining walls can start. That is a major part of the construction, but Quackenbush said he expected things to move smoothly.

After that work will come the landscaping, stair and ramp construction leading down to the walkway. Some of the landscaping work may stretch on past the end of summer, said Quackenbush, but not significantly.

Quackenbush also said that sometime in the autumn, the temporary spans now supporting the railway tracks above the walkway will have to be removed by CN Rail, which could create some more construction. However, he anticipated that would last no longer than one day.