A message from the District of Muskoka
As our community continues to monitor COVID-19, the decision to continue the King William Street project was thoroughly assessed. This conclusion follows the Government of Ontario’s confirmation that construction projects required to ensure safe and reliable operations of, or to provide new capacity in, critical infrastructure remain an essential service on April 3, 2020. As a result, the District of Muskoka will proceed with this work in partnership with its consultants and contractors.
During this time, all involved will be committed to closely monitoring construction site conditions to ensure compliance with COVID-19 measures recommended by local, provincial and federal health officials. Businesses and residents living or working near King William Street who have questions or concerns are reminded not to approach the contractor, to minimize direct contact with our project team. J.B. Enterprises Ltd. will be contacting businesses directly regarding construction and maintaining business continuity for essential services.
The King William Street project limits are from the Muskoka River Bridge to Scott Street and includes sanitary sewer installation, watermain rehabilitation, road realignment, sidewalk maintenance, traffic signals and a new driving surface. The first phase of construction (Bridge to Chaffey Street) experienced delays last summer due to the discovery of complex underground utilities, impacting the completion date. The construction site was shut down for the winter in December 2019 with plans to finish the project in 2020.
“The District and our partners are committed to the health and safety of our community, while at the same time, enabling and supporting this essential project to continue. As we move forward, and things could change rather rapidly, we will continue to work closely with stakeholders to support them, and escalate construction activity to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible.” says Mark Misko, Director of Engineering and Transportation for the District of Muskoka.
Health and safety protocol is always important during construction projects, however the circumstances associated with COVID-19 means important public health practices must be implemented and followed, as well as developing task-specific procedural enhancements by contractors to execute essential service delivery. These measures are being put into place immediately to mobilize equipment onsite, and as things are happening quickly, construction activity is planned to commence in the next two weeks.
Project updates will be posted at www.EngageMuskoka.ca. All aspects of District-led construction projects may be subject to change based on further COVID-19 developments. For information about impacts of COVID-19 on District programs and services, visit www.muskoka.on.ca/
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