Hillcrest Avenue reconstruction

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 schedule for construction the week of July 2, 2024 is tentatively:

1. Placement of topsoil.
2. Flushing, cleaning and laser profiling of newly installed sewers.
3. Line painting and installation of signage.

The schedule for construction the week of July 8, 2024 is tentatively:

1. Placement of sod and start of watering.
2. Closed-circuit television Inspection of newly installed sewers.

In approximately two weeks the City will walkthrough and inspect the work completed. If any deficiencies are noted, the contractor may return to repair them. The repairs may occur immediately or may occur later in the fall, depending on schedules.

The City does not do surface asphalt until a year following construction to allow time for settling or other deficiencies to appear. The process generally involves one crew arriving to raise the lids of manholes/catch basins and replace the asphalt curb with a concrete curb. Then a separate crew arrives some days later to place the surface layer of asphalt.

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.

Residents may have noticed the previous schedule did not follow timelines. As noted in the Information Package, the restoration phase doesn’t always go quickly. Waiting for concrete to cure adcoordinating different crews and sub-contractors took longer than expected.

The plan for construction for the next two weeks is:

1. Form and pour concrete sidewalk on west side of Hillcrest.
2. Form and pour concrete driveway aprons, and restore concrete driveways.
3. Place, grade and compact granular base for roadway.
4. Pave base asphalt (tentatively scheduled on or about June 26, 2024.)

Exact dates for the work above is difficult to predict, but the work will generally occur in the order shown.

The remaining work, which may or may not get started during the upcoming two-week period, will likely be completed in the following order:

1. Asphalt driveways.
2. Topsoil/Sod and Interlock driveways and walkways.
3. Signage and pavement markings.
4. Flushing, cleaning and inspection of new storm and sanitary sewers.

Reminder: Please keep pets (especially cats) inside or on a leash during concrete placement. Concrete will not be replaced for aesthetic reasons such as cat prints in the finish.

The current plan for construction for the next two weeks.

• Monday, June 3 – Clean up and other small tasks in preparation for curb.
• Tuesday, June 4 – Layout the stringline for curb.
  • Installation of stringline involves installing hundreds of metal rods connected to a string that guides the curb machine. The rods and string will block driveway access and could be a tripping hazard. Please be prepared to move around them.
• Wednesday, June 5 – Install curbs.
• June 6-7 - Form and pour new sidewalks, following behind curb.
• Concrete driveway aprons and restoration of concrete driveways following sidewalk installation.
• Asphalt in place by June 14.

Asphalt may or may not be feasible within the next two weeks. It is dependent on weather, progress of all previous tasks, and the schedule of the asphalt sub-contractor. Restoration of asphalt driveways, interlock driveways and topsoil/sod will be more than two weeks away.

Note: At the curb placement stage, vehicular access to driveways on evenings and weekends is interrupted for multiple days. Once curb is placed, it cannot be driven on for roughly 72 hours. Following curb placement, the contractor will form and pour sidewalks which starts the 72 hour clock again. Even though concrete cannot be driven on for 72 hours, it can be walked on by the morning after placement.

Please keep pets (especially cats) inside or on a leash during concrete placement. Concrete will not be replaced for aesthetic reasons such as cat prints in the finish.

Reminder: The contractor found Rogers cable wires running shallow through the boulevard which resulted in the wires being cut. At this stage, the probability of further strikes to Rogers service wires is low.

Residents frequently complain to the City regarding the wires strung through the trees after construction is finished. Please note that these wires are owned by Rogers and only they are permitted to re-bury them. For more information on this please refer to the following link: https://www.rogers.com/support/internet/cable-burial-process

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 current plan for construction over the following two weeks is:

• Monday May 20th – Holiday, no work.
• Following successful commissioning of new watermain (results pending), connect new water service at property line. Bury service lateral pits.
• Final connections of new watermain to existing watermain at William Street and at Alexandra. Decommission and dismantle temporary watermain.
• Excavate soil from roadway and place granular road structure.
• Following placement of granular road structure, set up of stringlines for concrete curb and gutter, followed by placement of curb and gutter.

Note: At the curb placement stage, vehicular access to driveways on evenings and weekends is interrupted for days on end. The bars and wires used to setup for curb placement frequently block driveways. Once curb is placed, it cannot be driven on for roughly 72 hours. In the days following curb placement, the contractor will form and pour sidewalks which starts the 72 hour clock again. Then new concrete driveway aprons (bottoms) will be poured which resets the clock once again. Even though concrete cannot be driven on for 72 hours, it can be walked on by the morning after placement. Please keep pets (especially cats) inside or on a leash during concrete placement. Concrete will not be replaced for aesthetic reasons such as cats prints in the finish.

Reminder: The contractor found Rogers cable wires running shallow through the boulevard which resulted in the wires being cut. At this stage, the probability of further strikes to Rogers service wires is low.

Residents frequently complain to the City regarding the wires strung through the trees after construction is finished. Please note these wires are owned by Rogers and only they are permitted to re-bury them. For more information on this please refer to the following link: https://www.rogers.com/support/internet/cable-burial-process

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 current construction plan for the following two weeks:

• Monday, May 6 – If needed, finish replacing water and sanitary service laterals from the mains to property line for all houses.
• Starting Tuesday, May 7 - Close intersection of Hillcrest and William St W to allow for installation of new watermain, sanitary and storm sewer in intersection. All access in and out of the street will be via Alexandra during this time.
• Once all watermain is installed, the contractor will start the watermain commissioning process. This process involves filling the new watermain with water, swabbing, disinfecting, and testing water in the new main.
  1. Note: The process of commissioning the new watermain ensures the safety of the water provided to residents. The process takes time as several steps need to be completed in sequential order, and some need to be completed 24 hours apart. Additionally, the water quality testing requirements are extremely stringent. The process takes roughly a week to complete, but it’s not uncommon to take several weeks if portions of the process need to be repeated. If this occurs, the contractor may run out of work that can be done while waiting for the watermain to be commissioned. At this point it may seem like work on the project has shutdown. This is frequently a source of frustration for residents, but please note that the work of commissioning the watermain is of critical importance and is still happening even though you may not see anyone on site.
• While the new watermain is being commissioned, the remaining storm sewer on Hillcrest will be installed. This will involve starting at Alexandra and working south down Hillcrest.
• Towards the end of the two week period, if the watermain is successfully commissioned, the new watermain will be connected to the existing system. Following this, residents will receive notices regarding water shutdowns for the purposes of transferring water from the temporary watermain to the new watermain.
• Schedule permitting, the contractor may start excavating the roadway and placing a new granular base for the roadway.

The contractor has found Rogers cable wires running shallow through the boulevard on the west side of the street. Theses wires were not located, are unexpectedly shallow and in certain areas hugging infrastructure that is being removed. Some wires have already been accidentally cut by the Contractor and repaired by Rogers. If you have Rogers internet/cable and it stops working, please refer to the instructions in the “Public Information Package from public meeting 2” regarding loss of internet.

Residents frequently complain to the City regarding the wires strung through the trees after construction is finished. Please note that these wires are owned by Rogers and only they are permitted to re-bury them. For more information on this please refer to the following link: https://www.rogers.com/support/internet/cable-burial-process

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 current plan for construction over the next week is:

• Start replacing sanitary and water service laterals for each individual house. Lateral pipes will be replaced from the main to the property line.
• Install storm sewers starting from Alexandra and running south to mid-block.
• Miscellaneous work until William St W intersection is shutdown starting Tuesday May 7 to complete installation of underground infrastructure (storm, sanitary and water)

The contractor has found Rogers cable wires running shallow through the boulevard on the west side of the street. Theses wires were not located, are unexpectedly shallow and in certain areas hugging infrastructure that is being removed. Some wires have already been accidentally cut by the Contractor and repaired by Rogers. If you have Rogers internet/cable and it stops working, please refer to the instructions in the “Public Information Package for public meeting 2” regarding loss of internet.

Residents frequently complain to the City regarding the wires strung through the trees after construction is finished. Please note that these wires are owned by Rogers and only they are permitted to re-bury them. For more information on this please refer to the following link: https://www.rogers.com/support/internet/cable-burial-process

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 current plan for construction over the next week is:

• Monday April 22 – Install storm manholes and sewer at intersection of Hillcrest and Alexandra Ave.
• Following storm installation – resume replacement of sanitary sewer starting midblock and ending just shy of William St.
• Time permitting – Grout fill and abandon existing watermain and begin installation of new watermain, starting at Alexandra and moving towards William St.

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 current plan for construction over the next week is as follows:

• Thursday April 11 – Rain day, no work planned.
• Friday April 12 – Finish hooking houses up to temporary watermain and remove road asphalt/curbs.
• Monday April 15 – Begin replacement of sanitary sewer, starting near Alexandra and working towards William.

Once the replacement of underground infrastructure begins, the amount of construction work on the road will increase dramatically. Residents will need to start moving their vehicles out of their driveway’s by 7 a.m. to avoid the risk of being blocked due to construction during the day.

Residents who were not able to attend the second Public Information meeting on April 2, 2024 can review the final design in the project library. An information package is also available for residents to download.

Please be advised that the City of Waterloo will be holding an upcoming Public Information Centre (PIC) for local residents to provide information regarding the planned reconstruction of Hillcrest Avenue in 2024.

Public Meeting

Date: Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Time: 5 to 7 p.m.

Place: Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary School – Gymnasium (enter school from main doors off Roslin Ave.)

55 Roslin Avenue South, Waterloo

This second PIC will be attended by the City’s engineering consultant, GM Blueplan, and the contractor hired for this project, Sousa Concrete. Representatives from all three will be available at the PIC to answer questions about the upcoming construction.

The purpose of the PIC is to allow residents to view the final designs and ask questions about the construction process. If you have not already done so, please contact the City’s project manager regarding any mobility or medical challenges you may have to ensure that accommodations can be made. Without this information, decisions may be made during construction that favour expediency over access, based on the assumption that special accommodations are not needed.

Construction is anticipated to start on or about April 4, 2024. Updates during construction may be posted on Engage Waterloo at various intervals or prior to key events. Please ensure you are signed up to receive updates from Engage Waterloo when posted.

Before construction starts, you'll be contacted by a company retained by Sousa Concrete to conduct a pre-construction condition assessment of your property. This survey will include visual inspection and photography of various interior and exterior features of your home to determine pre-construction conditions in the unlikely event that damage is caused during construction. Please contact the inspection company as soon as possible to schedule an inspection as timing is short.

Tthe typical work hours during construction will be 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. During the initial days of construction, residents may have roadway access when the contractor is not working directly in front of your driveway. Once the initial setup work is complete the contractor will remove the roadway asphalt and curbs and begin replacing underground infrastructure. During working hours and occasionally overnight, the roadway will be closed and residents will need to park their vehicles on nearby streets. Overnight access restrictions are more prevalent near the end of construction when new curb, sidewalk and driveway aprons are installed due to the drying time needed for concrete. Residents will be provided with two parking passes per household. The parking pass allows for parking on nearby streets for longer than three hours or overnight. All other parking rules still apply. For more information on parking rules please refer to the City’s Traffic and Parking bylaw on the City’s website:

https://www.waterloo.ca/en/living/traffic-and-parking-bylaw.aspx

Should you have any questions or concerns regarding this project and cannot attend the PIC, please contact the City’s Project Manager.