Procurement News Notice |
|
| PNN | 2252 |
| Work Detail | Parks Canada is giving the road between the community of Louisbourg, N.S. and the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site a $10-million facelift. But while the fortress, which began construction around 1720, is steeped in history, the 3.5-kilometre section of Route 22 is anything but. "The road was built in the 1930s to hug the shore line, about 600 to 700 feet away from the ocean," says Eddie Kennedy, the historic site's acting manager of visitor experience. "They picked the route strategically, primarily because it didn't impact any known historical or culturally significant artifacts associated with the fortress." Management of the fortress and the two-lane access road leading to it was assumed by Parks Canada in the 1960s. While the road has been repaved since then, it has never gone through extensive renovation or reconstruction. Kennedy says that the road currently suffers from a number of potholes, and splitting and cracking of the asphalt pavement. "The road wasn't designed for the type of traffic we're currently experiencing," he says. "In a good year we're getting 100,000 visitors, including our own buses that take people to the site, tour buses and large motor homes." The need for a road upgrade was identified by Parks Canada in 2011. Construction plans for the road include excavation and replacement of the gravel road base, widening of the "tight" lanes of the road and a fresh coat of asphalt paving. Ditches will be dug along both sides of the highway to help stretch out its service life. The contract also includes asphalt paving of an unsurfaced dirt service road on the site, used by staff. "Prior to the project, Parks Canada performed an extensive archaeological survey, with over 100 test pits dug alongside the road on the chance that something might show up," says Kennedy. "That wasn't because it crossed the area once occupied by the fortress, but because, prior to the fortress being built, there was a vibrant community in the Old Town on the north shore. A large number of people had their properties expropriated for construction of the fortress." Kennedy says that the engineers who planned the road in the 1930s had done an excellent job in planning the route — not a single historic artifact was found in this heritage sweep. The road construction contract was awarded to Dexter Construction. Construction on the project began in early August. To accommodate construction work, the access road is being reduced to one lane, with in and out traffic alternating every 10 minutes during visiting hours. "The bulk of the visitors are bused from a visitors' centre on Route 22," says Kennedy. "We expect that the delay to get to the fortress will only be about five minutes during construction." Completion of the roadwork is expected in late October. The $10-million price tag for the roadwork wouldn't provide even a down payment on building the fortress, the cost of which supposedly prompted King Louis XV to say he expected at any moment to see its towers appearing over the western horizon from his palace in Versailles. The budget for the project rose to 30 million French livres over 20 years of construction from 1720 to 1740. While translating the costs into current Canadian dollars would probably provide a meaningless figure, Kennedy notes that King Louis made back three times as much in trade. "Louisbourg was a huge revenue generator for France, particularly in the codfish trade," says Kennedy. "For our investment in the access road, we'll be giving visitors a much more pleasant driving experience." |
| Country | Canada , Northern America |
| Industry | Construction |
| Entry Date | 03 Sep 2016 |
| Source | http://dailycommercialnews.com/Infrastructure/News/2016/8/Fortress-of-Louisbourg-gets-10-million-road-improvement-1018073W/ |
