Notice of Reconstruction

Please be advised that the City of Waterloo has scheduled the reconstruction of Hillcrest Avenue, from Alexandra Avenue to William Street West. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2024, subject to Council’s approval. The map shows the approximate area of reconstruction:

As part of the reconstruction, all underground municipal infrastructure will be replaced, including sanitary sewer, storm sewer and watermain. Sanitary and water service laterals will be replaced up to the common property line. Surface works will include new concrete curb and gutter, new sidewalks, and a new pavement structure. Areas disturbed by construction, such as walkways, driveways and grassed areas will be restored to City standards. Please note that the City standard for boulevards within the public right-of-way is topsoil and sod. Private landscaping by residents within the public portion of the boulevard will not be replaced by the City.

The City is in the process of procuring an engineering consultant to provide design and construction administration services for the duration of the project. Residents may also notice various tasks being completed in advance of construction such as topographic surveying and geotechnical drilling and soil sampling.

Please note the following important information at this stage:

Notify the City’s Project Manager if you have any mobility challenges. During construction, driveway access is generally unavailable during working hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m.). Sidewalks will be maintained to the extent feasible when driveway access is not available. However, there will be times when even sidewalk access is impacted. Knowing any existing challenges in advance will help plan for specific needs.

Hold off replacing driveways or walkways. Construction will result in the ends of driveways and walkways being removed and patched at the end of construction. Waiting to replace driveways and walkways until after construction will avoid the need to cut into new pavement.

Image showing asphalt driveway that has been patched next to the sidewalk following construction.

Concrete driveway that has been patched next to sidewalk following construction

Begin moving landscaping plants out of the public right-of-way if you wish to keep them. City property extends to approximately 2.70 metres (9 feet) beyond the back of sidewalk. This space will be disturbed during construction. Any landscaping or hardscaping in this space will not be replaced by the City following construction. More information on this subject will be provided in subsequent notices.

Over the coming months several on-site activities will be completed in support of engineering design, such as topographic surveying, geotechnical drilling and hydro-excavation. The topographic survey team will need access to your property but should not interfere with your regular activities. The surveyors will identify themselves if you have any questions. The drilling crew that will perform the geotechnical investigation to assess soil and groundwater conditions will not need access to private property and will work entirely within the public right-of-way. The drill rig should only be on-site for 1-2 days and may generate short bursts of high pitched noise.