The City of Dauphin is making another step towards improving the City's active transportation network. Construction will soon start on an expanded multi-use trail along a section of Mountain Road.
Lisa Gaudet, Deputy City Manager, said though the City has been making some pretty good improvements to trail networks in recent years, it's about time that section of Mountain Road got an update.
"At the time, [the Mountain Road trail was] one of the City's first major active transporation investments, and since then the network has expanded significantly, with projects such as a Kingsway Trail and the Allan Dohan Campus Connector...as we've gained experience, and as active transportation planning has continued to evolve across Canada, there's been growing recognition that separated, off-street facilities provide a comfortable and accessible option for a wider ranger of users, so the new boulevard multi-use trail reflects these evolving best practices," said Gaudet.
Once shovels are in the ground, Gaudet said she expects not many big delays. The project will take around three weeks to complete, and residents and people walking or driving through the area might see some minor disruptions.
"Construction is scheduled to begin on June 29th along Mountain Road, between River Avenue and Davidson Avenue. And this is the first phase of improvements, that will widen sections of the existing sidewalk to create a multi-use trail on the boulevard...residents will see sections of the sidewalk widened to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists, and the work will take place on the boulevard rather than the roadway itself, but the protective bike lane barriers in this area will be removed," said Gaudet.
Because of the size and type of equipment needed for the work, Gaudet said motorists might face some delays in the area as well, but even those delays will not be major.
Gaudet wanted to stress that the project isn't about taking away Dauphin's existing active transportation network, it's about expanding on what's worked well for the City in the past few years, and improve it with proven best practices from across Canada.
"There may be some temporary construction-related disruptions while the work is underway, but the work is being done on the boulevard, so we don't anticipate any major disruptions...this project isn't about removing active transportation infrastructure, it's about improving it. So we're building on what we've learned over the past several years, and continuing council's long-term vision of creating a safe, accessible, and connected active transportation network throughout Dauphin," said Gaudet.
Recent improvements to Dauphin's active transportation network, and planned improvements like collaborations with Northgate Trails, show that the City of Dauphin is making active investments in our trails.
