WHAT was once one of the worst road surfaces in the City of Terrace is about to become one of the best.
The 4500 Block of Scott Ave., east of Kalum in the horseshoe, has been the scene of major construction since late summer.
Even the surface of gravel and crush, now awaiting paving, is much better than what has been there for years.
Underneath the surface lies brand new infrastructure including a water main which is being tested this week prior to hookup.
Work is slated to be finished in the coming weeks with colder weather fast approaching.
“We’re trying to, by the end of this week, tie in all of the water main, putting it into service and starting to get in on the road work,” said City of Terrace roads foreman Henry Craveiro.
“Once we get it pressure tested, get water samples, then we put it into service and abandon the old (water main).”
Old water mains are left to sit beneath the road’s surface, explained Craveiro, as the old main supplies water to neighbouring buildings right up until the point the new one takes over.
“We ... pull out the services and just abandon it in the ground,” he said of the old water main.
Other below-ground infrastructure worked on includes drainage pipes and repairs to the existing sewer line, said Craveiro.
Still to come is adding crush and road base material before Terrace Paving arrives to apply asphalt.
No date is set yet for that work to be done, said Craveiro.
The Scott. Ave rebuild project had a $395,000 budget, accounting for a slice of the total city roadwork budget for 2012 this year.
This year featured a fast-forward approach to roadwork, meaning budgeted projects from years to come were placed in 2012’s lineup.
Work done on Sparks St. from Lakelse Ave. to Lazelle Ave was initially slated to happen in 2016 but was grouped in with the milling and paving of Lakelse Ave. from Eby to Emmerson St. and Kalum St. from Lakelse to Park Ave. this summer.
The city took Agar Ave. from Molitor to Braun St. from 2015’s roads plan.
The road was pulverized and repaved earlier this summer.
McConnell Ave. from Hwy113 to Marshall St. was pulled from 2013, completed this year as well.
In total, city council budgeted $2.5 million for roadwork including pavement overlays, patching, rebuilds and other road infrastructure replacement or repairs.
Last year, the city undertook $2.8 million in roadwork which included two major rebuilds on Davis Ave. and McConnell Ave.
While the final spending tally was higher in 2011 with 1.2km of road paved in total, more kilometres of road were worked on this year at 4.5 km.
“Keep in mind that downtown streets are twice as wide as a normal road in town,” said Craveiro, adding that in 2011 more was spent because of two total rebuilds which include infrastructure costs.
“(2012 has) been one of the busiest years and I’ve been here for a long time,” said Craveiro.
Both years are an example of the city’s fast-track roads plan in action, with both nearly doubing what was spent in the two years prior.
The year 2010 saw about $1 million spent rebuilding three roads in Terrace — the 4700 block of Davis Ave., the 4900 block of Lazelle Ave., and the 4900 block of Scott Ave.
That’s not as much as was spent in 2009, which saw $1.5 million spent redoing Cramer St., the 4600 block of Lazelle Ave., and the 4600 block of Loen Ave.
Next year is expected to bring with it another full plate for the city’s roads department although which roads will be done has yet to be decided.
The city will finalize projects for next year when it sets its 2013 budget priorities later this year.