The City of Sherbrooke held the first of its weekly road-works updates for the year on Monday. Two weeks into a construction season that was forced to take on a whole new set of security measures, Caroline Gravel, Director of Sherbrooke’s Urban Infrastructure division, said that things are going well. To date 15 of the planned 96 public works projects are already underway with more to begin this week.
According to Gravel all of the city’s workers have received training on the new physical distancing and protective protocols and the measures have been effectively adopted without significant impact on productivity.
With a heat wave expected to hit this week, the urban infrastructure director said that construction teams will be favouring visors over masks to help avoid overheating, but said that the appropriate measures and existing hot-weather work regulations should be enough to keep workers safe.
Work on Rue du Haut-Bois Nord is expected to come to an end this week as well as the construction of rue Antonio-Cameron in the regional industrial park. A refurbishing of the water pipes along King East between du Marché and Chamberland will also get started.
Isabelle Gendron of the Sherbrooke Police also took the opportunity to remind the population that there will be increased patrols around worksites in an effort to keep workers safe. In the coming week she said that there will be more surveillance around rue Duplessis in Fleurimont, and she underlined the fact that it doesn’t pay to be impatient by explaining that the fine for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign is $100, plus a $71 fee and 3 demerit points, and that the fine for not following the instructions of flagpeople is $200, plus a $114 fee and four demerit points.
The police also intend to continue their policy of doubling fines around work sites.
On a more general note, Gravel acknowledged that even if there were fewer people on the roads over the latter half of March and the month of April, there are still spring potholes to watch for.
According to a survey carried out by CAA, Canadians spend over $1 billion annually on work related to pothole damage.
That in mind, Gravel said that people are strongly encouraged to report potholes to the city using the form available on the city’s website at https://www.sherbrooke.ca/en/services-to-citizens/roads-and-transportation/road-maintenance/report-a-pothole or by calling 819-821-5858.
“We cannot be everywhere all the time,” she said, adding that citizen reports are an important part of keeping the roads in good shape following the spring thaw.
Up to date information on the construction projects at work in the city of Sherbrooke is available at sherbrooke.ca/travaux.
