Progress report for Saskatchewan Avenue West

The City of Portage la Prairie is well into the redevelopment of Saskatchewan Avenue W, and we’ve got two more years of construction.

Mayor Irvine Ferris brings us up to speed on the rejuvenation of this major section of the city.

“Infrastructure has been completed,” notes Ferris. “This is for the wastewater mains from 4th St to 8th St. Next spring, construction will resume and it’ll be a lot more going on next year. Certainly, it includes the infrastructure below the surface that people don’t see; replacing ageing pipes, and also addressing some things that never have been addressed. One of the examples would be drainage for the west end. There really is little or no drainage when you get down to 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th, Streets. Part of the project will include building a drainage system that will address the needs, not just today, but we recognize that we’re going to be dealing with more and more weather events, including potential for flooding.”

Ferris says it’s going to see infrastructure result in a much larger system than it in the past.

“The next couple of years are going to be very challenging for all of us in terms of getting around,” continues Ferris. “There are going to be detours and a lot of extensive work going on at the same time. That will certainly be a challenge, but it’s a huge opportunity to get this done. This has been a long time coming. We’re looking forward to starting work on it again in the spring.”