Queen Street improvements to be ‘substantially completed’ this month

This year's improvements on Queen Street are on track for 'substantial completion' by Oct. 31, the board of the Downtown Association was told at its monthly meeting tonight.

In the construction trade, substantial completion is generally taken to mean a project is fit for its intended use.

"It's going to be completing those key infrastructure elements: water main connection, street lighting and paving," said Nicholas Luck, the association's executive director.

Luck said he was briefed on progress on the $6-million project yesterday during a meeting with AECOM the city's engineering consultant.

"The project overall is expected to be what is known as substantially completed by the end of by October. And then there will be, most likely, some work extending into 2025," Luck said.

"So that's looking like paved roads and sidewalks by the 31st of October."

"The priority is the asphalt. It's weather dependent in the temperature. Asphalt is better when it's hotter, obviously. So they're going to do that first, then they're going to do concrete. So that would be curves and anything else.

"And then their lowest priorities are the brick pavers you can see between the street and sidewalks," Luck said.

Arrangements are still being worked out for the Halloween on Queen event on Saturday, Oct. 26.

Luck said he'll be meeting with contractors either at the end of this week or early next week.

"We're going to determine if we can do any trick or treating on the south side from Brock to Elgin.

"But otherwise, the other areas that are outside of the construction areas can still do trick or treating: it's safe.

"At the event itself, we'll have volunteers at each intersection," Luck said.