Metcalfe 8th Line Rd. reconstruction nears completion
Posted Jul 29, 2010 By EMC News
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EMC News - Although the dust is still flying and the beeps of trucks backing up are still sounding, residents can rest assured that construction on Eighth Line Rd. in Metcalfe will soon be complete.
Jessica Bell
Residents in Metcalfe will soon be able to drive along 8th Line Rd. without all the dust and dirt as paving will commence soon.
The road, which has been under construction for several months, is being prepared for paving, said Randy Dempsey, project manager and infrastructure services with the City of Ottawa.
"It's going well," he added. "We are in the process of finishing up curbs and sidewalks and paving should start relatively soon."
The project was one of five that Osgoode Coun. Doug Thompson put forward to the city last year to be considered for infrastructure funding and the approval had him pleased at the time.
The project, estimated at $2.4 million according to Mr. Dempsey, will see Eighth Line Rd. lined with new sidewalks and curbs, as well as proper light posts and benches.
The street, which is a main roadway in the village, was scoured with potholes before construction began this year, making driving along that main stretch difficult for many.
Along Eighth Line Rd. are two churches, Osgoode Township High School and two elementary schools. Also, the Metcalfe Fair Grounds a popular go-to spot for residents and visitors sits along the roadway. The road had only one sidewalk on the west side, making it difficult for seniors and other residents to walk safely across.
Metcalfe Community Association chairperson Ellen Iverson, who lives along Eighth Line Rd., said that with the pot holes there were also issues with the drainage system beneath the road.
"Where there were storm sewers on the edge of the road the pavement was giving away," she said.
Ms. Iverson said she believes the project is running smoothly and said that Cornwall Gravel Co., the company who is doing the construction, has been carrying out their business professionally.
"The project has been very calm and organized and in my opinion that's due to the company," she said.
Ms. Iverson explained that the Cornwall Gravel crew helped the local crossing guards with getting children across the road safely to school while it was still in session.
The crew also helped local residents when it came to getting out of their laneway, stopping traffic for them to pull out.
"(The completed work) is going to be absolutely great," she added. "There are a lot of people that walk along that road and with the benches it's going to be fantastic."
Mr. Dempsey said he expects that construction will continue until the beginning of September and but that paving begins soon from the intersection of Victoria St. and Eighth Line Rd. to the fair grounds.
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