Coaldale council receives infrastructure project updates

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Sunny South News

By Nikki Jamieson
Sunny South News

The following are selected briefs from the Infrastructure Department Project Update report presented by Dustin Yanke, director of infrastructure for the town.

Civic Square Outdoor Space (Civic Plaza)

The final cost of this projected is expected to be within one per cent of the project budget of $4,483,907, with the department work with the contractor on final invoicing for change orders and cash allowance items.

When complete, it will feature:

• A refrigerated ice rink that can be both an event and programming space in the summer

• A building for concessions, washrooms, and change areas and a building for the rink’s ice plant and Zamboni

• Four gas firepits

• 44 stall parking lot 

Currently, they are working on installing the main electrical service panel for the Ice Plant, and the entrance’s archway feature, which are scheduled for installation this month. In 2025, they will address the ice rink drainage deficiency and closing out the water fountain feature.

Land O’ Lakes Drive Pedestrian Crossing

The project is expected to come in at about $1,350,00, or $100,000 under budget. It would see the installation of an at-grade crossing of Highway 3 and the CPKC rail corridor at the intersection of Land O’ Lakes Drive, along with about 650 meters of a paved three-metre-wide pathway. Yanke noted that before this project took place, there was only one pedestrian crossing through the corridor, so this was a “pretty substantial benefit to the community in terms of connecting north and south Coaldale”.

The needed pathway level lighting is currently going through approval process with CPKC, and once approved, Fortis will perform the installation. Additionally, Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors (ATEC) has informed the town that they will be changing the speed limit along Highway 3 to 60 km/h, which will improve traffic safety and create a more harmonious speed limit through town and be a more suitable speed through the corridor.

NE Industrial 12th Avenue Paving

During the initial construction phase of 12th Avenue between 8th Street and 11th Street, only the bottom lift of asphalt was installed to allow for servicing tie-ins, and this project focused on installing finishing the asphalt installation.

 During July and August, the town repaired some localized asphalt failures and sagged curbs were repaired and installation of the top lift was completed. Additionally, in coordination with the owners, the two last sets of services were installed to undeveloped lots.

Final costs can in at $135,845, $29,153 under budget.

Potable Water Reservoir and Pump Station

Currently, work on the reservoir excavation is underway, and the mud slab and base structural slab installation for the new water reservoir and pump station is being worked on. The project is expected to be completed in 2025, and would add 8,300 cubic meters of potable water storage to the town, and the new location would improve the town’s ability to turn over the water in the reservoir by allowing the new location to fill directly off the City of Lethbridge’s supply line. Total project cost is expected to be $13,038,000.

Yanke informed council that because of the increased allocation for McCains from the city supply line, they are expecting to need to pump more water for the town’s needs, at an estimated operating cost of $20,000.

“Essentially, there is a set amount of pressure that we get from the city, as it comes into Coaldale, and given that they’re taking significantly more water off of that supply, there’s less pressure left over. So now we have to pump to supplement that pressure,” said Yanke. “It is within the original agreement from back when the city supply line was first installed, so I think the best way to look at it is we’ve been pretty fortunate that we’ve hadn’t had to pump in the past, and now that their allocation is going up, we are expecting to have to use our pumps more often.”

Malloy 2B

Construction is expected to begin this month for the Malloy Phase 2B project, and is expected to be completed in spring 2025. The project scope includes construction for:

• 1200 mm pipeline from the Cottonwood Pond to the Raw Water Reservoirs (near the Quads)

• Outlet structure at the Cottonwood Pond 

• Outlet structure for the future South Coaldale Regional Stormwater Management Facility 

• Intercell piping in the Raw Water Reservoir 

• Outlet structure from the Raw Water Reservoir to the South Coaldale Drain 

• Connection of the 11th Street Pump Station to the Raw Water Reservoirs

Dennis’ Dirtworx was awarded the contract for the work.

Since Coaldale, Lethbridge County, and the St. Mary River Irrigation District formed a tri-party agreement in 2015 on stormwater management, they’ve completed $6.4 million in regional stormwater management upgrades. In addition to federal and provincial funding, as well as previous contributions, the remaining tri-party share is $675,000, or $225,000 each,

South Coaldale Regional SWMF

In August, the town was successful in their application to the Minister of Environment and Protected Areas to obtain 70 per cent funding towards their  South Coaldale Regional Stormwater Management Facility project, a tri-party project with Lethbridge County and the St. Mary River Irrigation District, from the Drought and Flood Protection Program 

The total projected cost $5,326,100, and with the funding, the three partners would split the remaining cost of $1,714,030, or $572,000 each, which will be brough forth during budget deliberation. The project would add 100,000 m³ of stormwater storage for rural stormwater entering Coaldale from the south.

Phase 2 Sanitary Trunk Main

This project would upsize the sanitary main along 20th Street/Highway 845 (between 14th Avenue and 16th Avenue) and 16th Avenue (between 20th Street/Highway845 and 23rd Street), to help support growth along west Coaldale and address historical stormwater inflow and infiltration issues, as well as a “pretty significant” of the town’s pathway network with the installation of a paved pathway along 20th Street connecting to the Rehoboth pathway extension, and a paved pathway along 16th Avenue connecting to the existing network near the Birds of Prey and the Kinsmen Picnic Shelter. 

The total projected cost is $5,100,000, which will be brought forward during budget deliberations for the town, and it would take place over two construction seasons.

Highway 3 Water and Wastewater Servicing Study

Coaldale has partnered with the Towns Taber, Bow Island, and Barnwell; counties of Forty Mile and Lethbridge; the Municipal District of Taber; and the cities of Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, to undertake a study will take place to determine how they will benefit from regional collaboration on water and wastewater upgrades to accommodate both individual growth and attract new agri-food processing investment in the region. The study will be 100 per cent funded by the Government of Alberta through the Alberta Community Partnership grant, and be completed in spring 2025.

Horsefly Regional Emergency Spillway

A multi-regional partnership that would allow the St. Mary River Irrigation District to discharge water from their Main Canal into the Oldman River in north Taber during emergency flood events has completed Phase 1 of the project in spring of 2024.

Phase 2 of the project is currently outstanding due to issues with coordinating with CPKC and lack of funds. An additional $5 million is needed to complete this phase.

Phase 3 of the project has been awarded to DeGraaf Excavating Ltd., with construction having just begun, and is expected to be completed in spring 2025.

The spillway’s project total estimated cost $61,000,000, and Coaldale’s contribution so far is $456,607, which was expended in 2023.

Skatepark

Construction on the skatepark project is expected to start in spring 2025. It involves upgrading the existing Kinsmen Skatepark site to be more suitable for different types of wheels, and improving the layout. It will also see the removal of some existing skatepark features such as rails, the pyramid, and quarter pipe, while installing new features in their place along with new lighting and other amenities. 

The project will be completed as a partnership with the Kinsmen, with the town funding $400,000 out of a total project cost of $1,200,000. The kinsmen are funding $400,000 and have made a large stream funding request from Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) for the remaining $400,000. Pending grant funding approval, some features or amenities can be scaled down or installed at a later date.