Minto marketing and community development coordinator Taylor Keunen drew Todd Braun’s entry in the Aug. 7 Clifford, We’re Diggin’ It Passport draw, filmed by Wightman Telecom’s Adam Olivero.
Todd won an industrial shop vacuum and Clifford merchant gift certificates worth $400. The prizes were sponsored by Ideal Supply and Minto Chamber of Commerce.
At the Aug. 13, Diggin’ It meeting, site supervisor Jeremy Gibson reported the sanitary sewer installation north of James Street is one third complete. Curbs are being poured and the roadway is being excavated with ‘B’ gravel. TM3 workers are continuing to prepare the connections for the underground hydro and street lights. ‘A’ gravel will be added to prepare for the Murray Group who will lay base asphalt the end of August.
Once paved, safety for the workers, pedestrians, and drivers will still require the roadways to be closed.
When complications arise, they are dealt with as quickly as possible. One rain day was called with the crew agreeing to breakfast at Gramma Jo’s.
New signs were put in place to help with rerouting traffic to local businesses. The downtown detour 1 diverts traffic to the parking lots or along side streets so shopping locally continues.
One day, it was discovered that gas line cut off valves were not strategically placed. A system wide shut down required Union Gas workers to physically reconnect each house and business. When there is a problem with communications, Wightman is quick to dispatch service personnel.
At the north end of the village, the workers are digging deep to install the sanitary sewers. A ladder reaches to the bottom of the hole allowing access for the workers. A high hoe digs the earth and dumps each scoop into a waiting dump truck. The earth is hauled away or dumped in another place ready to be dozed and packed.
Spectators are cautioned to stay back out of harm’s way. The truck back-up workers assist with guiding the trucks safely.
Watching traffic rerouted during active construction while the bucket of the high hoe is swinging and trucks are rolling is a real test of communication and cooperation.
It was fascinating to watch the machinery follow the roped corridor to install formed curbs on Aug. 10 at the south end of Clifford.
The Autoform workers poured concrete around the manhole covers and smoothed out sections of the curbs. Curbs north of the traffic lights were poured Aug. 17 and 20. TM3 workers perfectly aligned street light standards south of the traffic lights on Aug. 20 continuing north on Aug. 22.
On Aug. 23 and 24, the Murray Group grader operators arrived to prepare the roadway from Park Street to James Street with paving to begin Aug. 28.
The street is really beginning to take shape, causing people to consider the grade of the road, boulevard and sidewalks. Jeremy Gibson assured that every opportunity will be taken to provide better accessibility where possible.
It is troubling to still find drivers circling around holes in the roadways, bypassing huge construction machinery and ignoring construction workers wearing brightly coloured vests in their quest to discover the easiest route to Hanover. Warning pylons, detour signs and common sense should outweigh the power of GPS.
Economic development manager Belinda Wick-Graham noted several merchant videos can be viewed on the Clifford, We’re Diggin’ It YouTube and on the website www.clifforddigginit.ca.
Wick-Graham hopes to hear from people who have ideas on how to celebrate the grand completion of the new thoroughfare. With a fall finish, the celebration could incorporate a winter theme such as a Diggin’ It store promotion open house, street dance, barbecue – share your vision with Belinda Wick-Graham at 519-338-2511.
