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Tattersall Drive staying closed longer than hoped

An estimated 10,000 cars have been displaced daily by the Tattersall reconstruction project, which is expected to be complete by November.

Tattersall Drive will remain closed for the time being, despite earlier plans to have it reopened by now to accommodate single-lane alternating traffic.

Consultant Todd Mizuik says the project is coming along well, despite a few hiccups, and major changes will start to be visible to residents in the coming weeks.

"We're just finishing up most of the major underground work, replacing the large main and all the service laterals that come off it to the private properties. What's been done is all the underground electric, storm sewers and sanitary sewers," he said. "You should start to see a new curb (this) week, and then comes the gutters and road re-profiling, and the behind that is landscaping, asphalt and irrigation."

Project manager Jamie Rose, with Saanich, says the road will remain closed to make up a bit of time lost from unexpected delays.

"In order to keep things moving, we are going to keep things as is for the time being," he said.

Mizuik says a crew of 18 has been working 12 hours, six days a week to complete the project.

"This is an aggressive joint venture," he said, referring to the size and cost of the project, in relation to the short timeframe they were given to complete it. "We've had excellent co-operation from Saanich and from drivers as we get this done."

An estimated 10,000 cars have been displaced daily by the Tattersall reconstruction project, which is expected to be complete by November.

"As we do, we got complaints (about the diversion) in the early days, but the complaints have stopped. I think people have found their way around the construction," said Jim Hemstock, Saanich's manager of transportation.

The stretch of road between Quadra Street and Saanich Road is undergoing a $3.1 million facelift to both its underground and above-ground infrastructure.

kslavin@saanichnews.com