St. George Street: Benton Street to Queen Street South

The City of Kitchener will reconstruct the road on St. George Street (Queen Street to Benton Street). Bel-Air Excavating and Grading Limited was awarded the contract for reconstruction work, which is scheduled to start on/or about September 16, 2024.

This work is part of the Council-approved 2024 Capital Works Program to renew aging city roads, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, watermains, and sidewalk for current and future needs. Please see a map of the work area below.

Property impacts are expected, including planned water shut-offs, excavation pits and limited parking. For the duration of the construction, affected properties will receive water via a temporary water supply system.

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Map of work area

What to expect during construction

Work hours

Work will take place from 7 a.m.to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday. Work on weekends may also be required from time to time, but is unlikely, and is pre-approved Saturday and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Construction noise

You may experience intermittent noise and vibration during construction (from vacuum trucks, excavators, dump trucks, power generators, air compressors, paving equipment, concrete equipment, and other machinery).

Pre-condition inspection of structures

On heavy construction projects, the City of Kitchener’s standard practice is to offer to inspect any buildings that might be affected by construction activities before construction starts. If residents or tenants experience any concerns with their property during or after construction, the information from the pre-construction inspection will prove very helpful in quickly and accurately resolving any claims, should they arise.

The City-hired contractor may need access to your house or building to complete a pre-condition inspection survey. The pre-condition inspection survey company named DBA Services Inc. will deliver a pre-construction survey request to schedule a time to complete the survey.

The contractor will not show up asking for entry without prior notice. If you have questions or concerns regarding the identity of the contractor or contractor worker, please contact the person by the contact information at the bottom of this notice.

On-site communication

Sometimes, contractors need to communicate with homeowners about what is happening on-site. This could be about driveway access, water shut-offs, pre-construction inspections, and site restoration work (examples: landscaping, installing pavers). The contractor's staff will be identifiable by their high-visibility company branded clothing. If you need to speak with staff on the construction site, please ask for the Site Inspector.

Accessible accommodation

The City's contractor must ensure safe and accessible walkways and entryways are maintained for everyone during construction. Any temporary access disruptions will be communicated as soon as possible. If you experience a disruption, have a specific access need, or a related accommodation request, contact the person listed below.

Residents who require accommodation (examples: for level entry, longer notice) must contact the Project Manager to arrange for access during the construction period.

Water service disruptions

The water to your property will need to be shut off to allow for connection and disconnection to the temporary water supply. The contractor will provide at least 48-hour advance notice for all planned shut-offs.

If you did not receive advance notice and your water was turned off, an emergency water shut-off may have been necessary to complete the work.

Telephone and internet services

For individual properties, this work may affect phone and internet cables that are not buried deep below the sidewalk. The contractor will coordinate with utility companies to minimize disruption. Residents who find their service has been disrupted should notify their phone or internet service provider immediately to start the repair process.

Important information for owners of sprinkler systems, heated driveways, or private landscaping features

Property owners should remove items located within City property limits (boulevard) to avoid damage. This includes items such as landscaping (plants and pavers), decorative objects, sprinkler systems or heated driveways. If you have a sprinkler system or heated driveway, please contact the Project Manager listed below.

Road and sidewalk access

To complete the work safely, there will be road and sidewalk restrictions within the work zone. Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times.

Driveway access

The contractor will notify you of any temporary restrictions to your driveway access. Due to the nature of the work, driveway access may not always be possible.

During reconstruction, temporary parking permits will be issued to displaced residents to allow on-street parking when needed. The permits will list streets for parking options where you can park longer than 3 hours and overnight. The site inspector will hand out the permits. Typically, 2 permits are handed out per property. If you require additional permits, please reach out to the Site Inspector.

Display the permit on your vehicle’s dash. Park your vehicle only in permitted areas and ensure that you do not interfere with any construction operations.

We communicate with the Bylaw Enforcement team to ensure residents displaced by construction are noted, although illegal parking and safety-related issues will continue to be enforced.

Parking

This project will affect on-street parking. Parking in the active work zone is not permitted as space is needed for construction equipment and materials. If your parked vehicle affects construction work, it will be relocated without charge to the owner.

If you require parking enforcement, please contact 519-741-2345.

Traffic management

Efforts have been made to manage traffic in the area for the safety of workers, road users and residents. Road users should expect delays and increased traffic on nearby main and side streets.

Moving in/out and deliveries

Efforts will be made to accommodate properties that have scheduled move-ins / move-outs and deliveries. Please contact the site inspector in advance to advise of any delivery access.

Garbage and recycling

Please have materials placed at curbside before 7 a.m. on your collection day. If required, the contractor will move bins to an appropriate location and return them in reasonable amount of time. Please ensure that you label your bins with your address.

Restoration

The construction work area will be restored with sod, concrete and/or asphalt where required. Interlocking bricks, flagstone on a granular base, or other similar features that are removed from public and private property during construction will be replaced. Further information notice regarding sod will follow once the sod is placed.

Site Inspector

If you have construction questions or an issue onsite, we ask that you contact the site inspector who represents the city onsite. The site inspector is onsite daily and can be identified by the white hardhat they wear with either the city logo or consultant company logo on it.

Jeff Gruber

519-504-1811

jeff.gruber@kitchener.ca

If the site inspector is unavailable, please contact the Project Manager listed below.

Need more information?

If you have questions about the upcoming work, please contact us.

City Project Manager

Licinio Costa

226-749-3034 (TTY:1-866-969-9994)

licinio.costa@kitchener.ca

Engineering General inquiries

519-741-2406

Thank you for your continued patience.

Answer our questionnaire

As part of the City of Kitchener’s ongoing efforts to provide consistent and reliable service, we have scheduled road and sewer improvements in your neighbourhood on St. George Street from Benton Street to Queen Street South.

These improvements are scheduled to begin later this year, with an estimated completion date of fall 2024. Once a schedule for construction has been confirmed you will be notified. You will also be notified closer to the date construction is scheduled to start on your section of the street, and also how long access to your driveway will be affected.

In order to help us address any specific issues or considerations, we ask that you please complete the Resident/Owner Questionnaire. If you have any plans to redevelop your property (for example severance or additional units), please let us know so that we can coordinate any proposed changes with the new roadwork. The survey closes June 23, 2024.

If you live within the project limits and are interested in connecting private storm drains that accept sump pump discharge, you will also be prompted to complete the Storm Service Survey on the last past of the questionnaire.

If you or someone within the project limits would prefer a paper version of the questionnaire, please contact the Engineering division at engineering@kitchener.ca or 519-741-2345.