Even with the most careful planning, road construction can be messy and disruptive…but the surest sign that the heavy construction phase is nearing an end is when the excavation and grading equipment is replaced by paving crews. The vivaNext project is no different, and we’re happy to confirm that paving is now underway on the west sections of the Highway 7 rapidway project.
Because asphalt can’t take heavy traffic (trucks and buses) for some time after it’s installed, we need to close the lanes that have been newly paved until it has completely set. To minimize the impact, we’re paving a block or so at a time. We’re spreading out the time to pave, over about two months, completing one major intersection per weekend when traffic is lightest.
Once the paving is done, there’s still quite a bit of detailed work to do before the west section of the Highway 7 rapidway will be ready for operations, including planting and landscaping work next spring. Then in the middle of next year, we’ll begin the process of carefully testing the transit signals and other equipment on this section.
But once the paving is finished, the biggest disruption of construction will soon be coming to an end. We appreciate your patience throughout this project, and we’ll make sure you know exactly where and when any lane closures are going to take place, to help you minimize any inconvenience. Look for our emails giving you the latest updates on where we’ll be working, and how long our work will take. Click here to sign up for construction updates, and for complete information about the Highway 7 paving work, click here.