Frequently Asked Questions

The scope of work to complete the watermain replacement and road improvements on Albert Street (Columbia Street West to Weber Street North) includes: 

• Replace and upgrade the existing watermain on Albert Street from Columbia to Longwood, including all water services within the right of way
• Resurface Albert Street from Columbia to Longwood
• Improve the road cross-section, including a reduction in number of traffic lanes, new separated cycling lanes and intersection improvements from Columbia to Weber
• Select curb and gutter and concrete sidewalk replacement on Albert Street 

These improvements are being completed to upgrade the aging, underground services, and the above-ground surface to prevent future failures and maintain an acceptable level of service. 

The City is currently working to obtain prices for the work from interested Contractors through a public tendering process. It is anticipated that a qualified Contractor will then be awarded the contract subject to obtaining the necessary approvals. Once the Contractor is awarded the work, we will update the website to include the company and contact information for the selected bidder.

The approximately timing of project milestones: 

• Detailed Design and Contract Documentation: August 2021 – January 2022
• Tender Call for Contractors: March 2022
• Public Information available: March 2022
• Contract Award: April 2022
• Construction: May 2022 to November 2022

Note: Construction activities will likely occur in stages. The proposed staging will be updated periodically once the construction contract has been awarded and work has begun. Subscribe to follow this project to receive email updates.

Construction activity will generally be between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., except on Sundays and Statutory Holidays, when construction is prohibited.

Normally, road reconstruction project work happens during the week from Monday to Friday.

During the later stages of construction, or as needed, the Contractor may be required to work on Saturdays within the regular working hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. in order to meet the scheduled date of completion.

In order to carry out these improvements, it will be necessary to close the street to through traffic. Before the road is closed, signs will be posted on the approaching streets advising all motorists of the date and the duration of the closure. 

In general, the work will progress in two separate stages. Stage 1 will be on Albert Street between Philip Street and Weber Street. Through traffic will be maintained during this phase at all times. Stage 2 will be on Albert Street between Columbia Street and Philip Street. During Stage 2, Albert Street will be closed to through traffic from Columbia Street and Philip Street. Stage 2 will begin after Stage 1 is well underway, however work may still be happening for Stage 1 construction when Stage 2 begins. Expect delays when travelling through the area as flagging operations may be required to complete the work.

During road reconstruction, access to private property in the area may be possible, but it will be at your own risk, as you will be traveling through a construction zone. During times that there is not access to your property due to the work, or if you do not wish to travel through the construction zone, alternate arrangements should be made for parking. Overnight parking will be permitted on intersecting streets within one block of the reconstruction but you must abide by all other existing parking restrictions (don’t block driveways, don’t park too close to a fire hydrant, don’t park where parking is prohibited, etc.). The Contractor will provide notice as to when access to your property will be limited, and these times will be minimized as much as possible. Please contact our project team with any specific questions or concerns. 

Pedestrian Access

Pedestrian access to all buildings will be maintained, although there may be occasional disruptions for short periods of time. The construction contract for this project will include a requirement for the Contractor to provide a level, gravel walking surface for pedestrians and to provide intermittent pedestrian crossings of the roadway. Please notify the Project Team of any special needs you may have regarding access to your property as soon as possible.

Temporary construction fencing will be provided, whenever possible, to separate the activities of workers, equipment and construction vehicles from that of the public. These fences are to protect the public from the work by creating a visible barrier from the construction activity. Members of the public are asked to report any observed vandalism or accidental impacts on construction fencing to City representatives, to help keep everyone safe. 

Deliveries

Deliveries may be impacted by the work. All owners are asked to communicate any specific delivery needs to City representatives, whether regular or special deliveries, in order to coordinate the safe and efficient delivery of goods.

Yes. In general, the width of the road will stay the same, however the number of vehicle lanes will be reduced to one lane each-way. This allows for the construction of separated cycle lanes on each side of the road. We are also taking this opportunity to improve pedestrian travel by improving GRT stops and providing midblock crossings at key locations. The changes are shown in the Stage 1 (Phillip Street to Weber Street) and Stage 2 (Columbia Street to Phillip Street) technical drawings posted in the Document Library. The library includes a phasing and traffic control document, and the proposed street cross sections. If you require assistance interpreting the technical drawings please contact the project team. 

Water service will be maintained throughout the duration of construction. However, short interruptions can be expected, particularly when the services to individual properties are transferred from existing mains to the new mains. In the majority of cases, interruptions will be limited to a few hours and will occur during normal working hours. Advance notification will be provided where possible prior to any planned service interruption. During watermain reconstruction a temporary above ground watermain may be installed. Each property will be connected from the temporary main at the curb stop at property line. Access onto your property may be required to provide the temporary connection. 

All water service laterals for single families will be replaced with 25 mm diameter polyethylene pipe from the watermain to property line. Other commercial and higher density residential structures have individually sized services appropriate for the use of the property.

Any property owner wishing to have new (additional) or larger sized services must make written application to the City of Waterloo for review and approval. Any new or upgrade service will be at the expense of the property owner making the request. Should you require a new or upgraded service, please contact Mr. Kyle Bossie at 519-886-1550 ext. 78256 so that your requirements can be incorporated as part of the construction.

Please note that the service installed would be to the property line only. Any work on private property would be the responsibility of the property owner who must obtain a permit under the Plumbing Code from the City’s Building Department.

One issue of critical importance to the City of Waterloo is to have the work completed while minimizing disruption to the neighbourhood. Road reconstruction and underground servicing is disruptive and at times will create noise and vibration due to compaction and a potential for dust. To address these issues, water and calcium chloride are used for dust control and construction activity is limited to daylight hours after 7:00 a.m. Advanced notices will be provided in situations where laneways may be restricted access or when water service may be interrupted. Our design and construction methodology will aim to minimize these interruptions, but they cannot be wholly avoided.

On some reconstruction projects we find that residents have constructed gardens, shrubs, hedges, retaining walls and fences within the City road allowance. This is usually not a problem unless the existing services are below that particular feature, or if there is a grade change or if the roadway changes. In this case you will be asked to relocate the garden, hedge, etc. onto your property prior to construction taking place. 

Similar features within the Daylight Visibility Triangle obstructing the vision of a motor vehicle driver or cyclist approaching the intersection will be relocated or removed as a part of this project to maintain safety for users of the street.

When reconstructing the road, it may be necessary to cut back some driveways to match the new grade or accommodate upgrading the underground services. If this is the case the driveway will be saw-cut and a patch placed using the same material if possible. Impressed or coloured concrete driveways will be a challenge to be replaced to match the original, which is also the case with paving stone driveways (unless the owner has a supply of matching stones that the contractor could use). The property owner has the option of retaining their own contractor to complete the driveway patch after the construction is complete and the City will cover the costs contingent on review of the costs proposed. 

If you have a sprinkler system installed along the edge of the roadway within the City’s road allowance, please remove the piping prior to construction as the contractor will not be responsible for damage and the City will not replace it. You may have it reinstalled on private property after construction is completed if you wish.

Blue box, green bin and garbage collection will be maintained throughout the duration of construction. When access is restricted by construction operations, the construction crew will take waste containers from in front of homes on collection days and place them at a location accessible by the collection crews. To minimize problems during construction, it would be appreciated if all waste is bagged – Yard Waste in paper bags, Household Garbage in plastic bags. Please make sure that your address is clearly marked on blue boxes and green bins.

Where healthy trees are identified they will be protected throughout construction. Any tree identified as being unsafe will be removed. Trees showing significant decline, identified as being of poor quality and trees that are in major conflict with proposed work will be identified as potential removals. Specifications have been developed to minimize the amount of damage to trees during the work. This includes tunneling under trees, supplementary watering and restrictions on the amount of restoration work that occurs around trees. 

A site office trailer will be established within, or adjacent to, the work area as space and available facilities permit. The site office will be a place of contact between the public and project personnel and will also be used for construction progress meetings with the Contractor. COVID-19 health and safety restrictions will be maintained at all times, and alternate arrangements may be made as required. These details will be confirmed closer to the start of construction. 

The City of Waterloo realizes that reconstruction will cause inconvenience to the residents and businesses in the area and requests your cooperation and patience throughout its duration. We encourage everyone to forward any comments, concerns or questions to our project team, either via email or using our Questions submission. In addition to your comments, other information we would like to receive from residents or businesses are your special needs, e.g. for disabled persons, water or sewer service improvements and/or driveway modifications. This written record will assist the City to address all the issues related to the above noted works. 

The project lead for this team is: 

Mr. Kyle Bossie, P.Eng., PMP
Senior Project Engineer
Phone: 519-886-1550 Ext. 78256
Email: kyle.bossie@waterloo.ca