Herbert Street reconstruction

We expect surface asphalt on Herbert St by the end of next week.

The lids on all structures (catch basins, manholes, water valves) have been raised up by a few inches in anticipation of surface asphalt. Once the asphalt is placed, the project will be close to completion and a majority of the construction disturbances will be over. There is still one year left on the warranty provided by the contractor (with the exception of sod), but ideally no further construction will be needed.

Residents may also have noticed the landscaper aerated and fertilized the sod on Herbert Street. This is the final aeration/fertilization for the sod. Going forward, all maintenance of sod turf is the responsibility of the homeowner.

Due to delays in their schedule, the contractor will not be returning on November 6, 2023 to address deficiencies. They are currently scheduled to return on Monday, November 13, 2023 for approximately one week. The curbside leaf collection schedule remains the same and residents should ensure their leaves are raked to the curb by Nov. 6. as Herbert Street is scheduled to have it’s leaves removed first.

Please note that the contractor will be returning to Herbert Street midday on Monday November 6, 2023 for up to two weeks to address deficiencies. Work will start midday on the Nov. 6 in order to allow City staff to complete curbside leaf pickup in advance. Please have leaves raked to the curb for collection first thing in the morning on Monday, November 6, 2023.

Deficiencies are a normal part of construction, with software packages and professional guidance documents on the subject. Addressing deficiencies typically involves less invasive amounts of construction with specific items being targeted in specific locations at a time. The roadway will be more accessible during construction hours than during previous construction, but still may require some movement of vehicles to adjacent streets for short periods to avoid being blocked in, or to avoid the movement of construction vehicles.

Following the remediation of deficiencies, residents shouldn’t expect any further construction until surface asphalt is placed in 2024, a process that is also minimally invasive but may still require some coordination with the contractor.

Note: Construction updates are being provided as a courtesy to keep residents appraised of upcoming work. Due to the nature of construction, schedules can quickly change and residents should be prepared for unexpected changes.

Please note that some residents will not have access to their driveways over the weekend. Although the concrete curbs, sidewalk and apron have all had sufficient time to cure, the contractor will not be able to get heavy equipment on the freshly placed asphalt before the weekend. The current schedule anticipates preparing driveways for paving starting Monday, July 17 at which point most residents will regain driveway access with vehicles. Driveway asphalt is anticipated shortly after, based on the asphalt sub-contractor's schedule.

In the interim, residents can park on the road over the weekend. Residents are reminded that all normal rules still apply such as no parking on the east side of the road, no parking in the opposite direction of traffic, etc. There likely isn’t enough parking to accommodate all vehicles, so residents are asked to consider the needs of their neighbours when deciding where to park over the weekend. Residents who are able are asked to continue parking further away in order to provide spaces for those with a greater need to park closer to their residence, such as those with mobility challenges or young children.

Note: Construction updates are being provided as a courtesy to keep residents appraised of upcoming work. Due to the nature of construction, schedules can quickly change and residents should be prepared for unexpected changes.

The following update is the anticipated schedule for upcoming weeks:

1. Work by concrete sub-contractor
   1. Complete sidewalk
   2. Complete driveway aprons, walkways and other concrete works
2. Works by asphalt sub-contractor
   1. Asphalt roadway
   2. Asphalt driveway
3. Works by landscape sub-contractor
   1. Interlock stone driveways and walkways
   2. Place topsoil, grade and place sod

Warning: Residents can walk on concrete after 24 hours, but cannot drive on it for 72 hours.

The restoration of surface works will generally progress in the order noted above. Delays to any step in the process will delay every step that follows. The schedules of the various sub-contractor do not always align which may result in some delays between steps.

Note: Construction updates are being provided as a courtesy to keep residents appraised of upcoming work. Due to the nature of construction, schedules can quickly change and residents should be prepared for unexpected changes.

The following update is for the week of June 26:

1. No work currently scheduled for the week of the 26.
2. Setup for curbs tentatively scheduled for week following Canada Day.

Currently there is no anticipated work on-site for the week starting June 26. The prime contractor has completed most underground rehabilitation works. The concrete, asphalt and landscape restoration works are all completed by separate, sub-contractors. The schedule of the sub-contractors do not always perfectly align which can lead to delays between phases of work. It’s always possible that a sub-contractor will have an opening in their schedule so residents should be prepared for work to resume at any time.

Warning: Residents are advised that in the coming weeks the restoration of surface works will begin and it will likely lead to long periods of time without vehicle access to your driveway. This is due to the time required for concrete to cure. Residents can walk on concrete after 24 hours, but cannot drive on it for 72 hours. Concrete restoration will start with curbs, then typically sidewalks a few days after that, and driveways a few days after that. Roadway asphalt may be placed after curbs and before sidewalk and driveway concrete, depending on sub-contractor schedule. Due to the staggered nature of the placement of concrete, it means that one 72 hour period will not have passed prior to the next one starting, resulting in a prolonged period without driveway access.

Note: Construction updates are being provided as a courtesy to keep residents appraised of upcoming work. Due to the nature of construction, schedules can quickly change and residents should be prepared for unexpected changes.

The following update is for the week of June 19:

1. Install air blow-off on watermain at Union Street, in addition to other miscellaneous water related work.
2. Build granular road base and fine grade.

Warning: Residents are advised that in the coming weeks the restoration of surface works will begin and it will likely lead to long periods of time without vehicle access to your driveway. This is due to the time required for concrete to cure. Residents can walk on concrete after 24 hours, but cannot drive on it for 72 hours. Concrete restoration will start with curbs, then typically sidewalks a few days after that, and driveways a few days after that. Roadway asphalt may be placed after curbs and before sidewalk and driveway concrete, depending on contractor schedule. Due to the staggered nature of the placement of concrete, it means that one 72 hour period will not have passed prior to the next one starting.

Note: Construction updates are being provided as a courtesy to keep residents appraised of upcoming work. Due to the nature of construction, schedules can quickly change and residents should be prepared for unexpected changes.

The following update is for the week of June 12:

1. Connect new watermain to existing system at John Street.
2. Complete pressure test on Region of Waterloo raw watermain.
3. Install joint restraints on raw watermain at John Street.
4. Install air blowoff on watermain at Union Street.

Warning: Residents are advised that in the coming weeks the restoration of surface works will begin and it will likely lead to long periods of time without vehicle access to your driveway. This is due to the time required for concrete to cure. Residents can walk on concrete after 24 hours, but cannot drive on it for 72 hours. Concrete restoration will start with curbs, then typically sidewalks a few days after that and driveways a few days after that. Roadway asphalt may be placed after curbs and before sidewalk and driveway concrete, depending on the contractor schedule. Due to the staggered nature of the placement of concrete, it means that one 72-hour period will not have passed prior to the next one starting.

Note: Construction updates are being provided as a courtesy to keep residents appraised of upcoming work. Due to the nature of construction, schedules can quickly change and residents should be prepared for unexpected changes.

The following update is for the week of June 5:

1. Address sanitary service lateral deficiency from Phase 1 at 204 Herbert
2. New watermain commissioning complete. Connect new watermain to existing system at Union Street and begin changing residents over from the temporary watermain to the new watermain.
3. Complete pressure test on Region of Waterloo raw watermain.
4. Connect new watermain to existing system at John Street.
5. Provide support to Enbridge to complete natural gas upgrades in the intersection of Herbert and John.

The commissioning of the local potable watermain has been successfully completed and the contractor can proceed with connecting the new watermain to the existing system and transitioning residents from the temporary watermain to the new watermain. The Region of Waterloo’s raw watermain also needs to be pressure tested which will occur later this week.

Residents are advised that in the coming weeks, the restoration of surface works will begin in earnest and it will likely lead to long periods of time without vehicle access to your driveway. This is due to the time required for concrete to cure. Residents can walk on concrete after 24 hours, but cannot drive on it for 72 hours. Concrete restoration will start with curbs, then typically sidewalks a few days after that and driveways a few days after that. Roadway asphalt may be placed after curbs and before sidewalk and driveway concrete, depending on the contractor schedule. Due to the staggered nature of the placement of concrete, it means that one 72-hour period will not have passed prior to the next one starting.

Note: Construction updates are being provided as a courtesy to keep residents appraised of upcoming work. Due to the nature of construction, schedules can quickly change and residents should be prepared for unexpected changes.

The following update is for the week of May 29^th:

1. Finish replacing water and sanitary service laterals to property.
2. Begin process of commissioning new watermain
3. Build road structure, including the removal of existing soil, replacement with granular road base material, and installation of sub-drains.

Please note that the commissioning of the new watermain is a rigorous process of testing and certifying that the new watermain is safe to connect to the existing water distribution system. The process includes swabbing, pressure testing, disinfection, chlorine residual and bacteriological sampling tests. The bacteriological sampling requirements are extremely stringent and two consecutive tests taken 24 hours apart must meet bacteriological standards in order to gain approval to connect the new watermain to the existing system. It is not uncommon for tests to fail, however it is rare that the tests fail due to an improperly constructed watermain. There is a joke that a gust of wind can stir up enough dust during sample collection that the sample will fail.

During commissioning the contractor will continue to do as much work as they can concurrently with the testing, but it’s possible they will run out of work that can be performed prior to the watermain being commissioned. At this time it may appear that work on the project has ceased, however that is not the case as sample collection will continue and the project team will be busy trying to determine the cause of sample failures and get the project going again as soon as possible.

Please be advised that CN Rail is continuing construction on the Spurline rail tracks will block roadways in the neighbourhood over the next several weeks. The tentative schedule for this work is:

May 29^th to June 2^nd – Roger Street