A Moment with the Mayor: Roads and Streets

The condition of Lloydminster’s roads and streets is a regular topic of conversation, whether over coffee, lunch or supper. It often comes up at our table at home, especially when street sweeping, snow clearing, or any other City work is happening nearby.

Our community is connected by a network of streets and avenues. Some are straight, some are curved, and a few include roundabouts. Over time, the city has expanded outward from the downtown in all directions.

Any roadwork that takes place in a neighbourhood almost always begins underground. Before new concrete sidewalks or asphalt can be laid, the infrastructure below the surface must be checked and upgraded if needed.

When we undertook last year’s downtown roadwork, there were far more lines that needed to be replaced than in other areas of the city. The downtown core contains the main connections for water, sewer, and stormwater.

Highway 16, or 44th Street, also known as Ray Nelson Drive, is our four-lane urban roadway through most of the city. As you drive west, the concrete gutters end and the road transitions to standard highway ditches on either side. As you head south on Highway 17 from downtown, the roadway quickly changes to having ditches on both sides.

The area south of Highway 16 on 50th Avenue, or Highway 17, continues to be one of several areas that require extensive planning before any improvements or changes can be made. This planning helps ensure that all businesses and residents have access to their properties. Changes to traffic patterns and access are challenging issues.

The process of changing a roadway from a rural to an urban standard involves many steps. The removal of ditches, the installation of underground stormwater piping, updating water and sewer infrastructure, and addressing surface drainage through proper grading are all part of the changeover. Building up or cutting the existing roadway to the correct grade and installing the right subbase materials is critical before new asphalt is laid, lines painted, traffic lights reinstalled, and landscaping completed.

The City team will continue to assess our extensive network of roads and streets. Patching, potholes, and road repair are constantly part of the summer maintenance schedule. If you notice something that needs repair, please visit Lloydminster.ca/ReportAConcern and provide as much detail as possible. Always follow construction signage and take care when driving past workers.

Mayor Gerald S. Aalbers
City of Lloydminster