It’s construction season! City projects ensure reliable infrastructure around town

Medicine Hat – With spring thaw complete, the City of Medicine Hat is gearing up for another busy construction season to enhance road and utility infrastructure around town. The 2024 budget includes more than $40 million in capital infrastructure upgrades.
While many projects are taking place in localized areas with impacts to neighbourhood residents only, three major projects are planned on main thoroughfares that will impact the general travelling public:
3 Street SE Utility and Surface Upgrades, Downtown Medicine Hat
The City is upgrading downtown’s water and sewer systems, originally installed back in the early 1900’s, to ensure a reliable and future-proof utility network along 3 Street SE. The project will begin Apr. 22 and is expected to conclude in the fall of 2024. Businesses will remain open through construction. To learn more about this project, visit medicinehat.ca/threestreetdowntown.
7 Street NW and Altawana Drive NE Deep Utility Replacement
Aging cast iron water mains and clay sanitary mains at the top of Altawana Drive NE will be replaced with new PVC pipe this spring. The excavation is expected to be over seven meters deep in places but crews will also employ trenchless technology designed to reduce installation cost and the impact to the neighbourhood. The project also includes the installation of a steel casing underneath the existing stone retaining wall along Altawana Drive. Beginning May 13, 2024, this project is expected to conclude in the fall of 2024, though the Altawana Drive hill is planned to reopen mid-July.
Division Avenue South Rehabilitation
To address poor road condition, the section of Division Avenue South between 3 Street SE and 12 Street SE will be completely removed and replaced. During this necessary reconstruction, the City plans to upgrade and improve this stretch of road. The new design will follow the principles of complete streets, which means it will be made accessible and usable for all types of transportation, and for people of all ages and abilities. Learn more at medicinehat.ca/divisionavenue.
“When it comes to construction season, we often experience ‘short-term pain for long-term gain,’” says Pat Bohan, Managing Director of Development and Infrastructure. “We can’t stand still as our infrastructure degrades over time. If motorists plan ahead and leave themselves extra time to get where they’re going, the disruptions should be manageable.”
Bohan adds that construction is rarely glamourous, but sometimes, projects can really shine. “As long as the sewer is working, most people likely won’t be concerned if it’s a 100-year-old cast-iron pipe or a new PVC tube under the ground, but we’re paying careful attention to the infrastructure you can’t see. In the case of Division Avenue South, we’re excited to present a completely redesigned streetscape our community will certainly notice, and really appreciate.”

Public transportation

Medicine Hat Transit will be affected by this ongoing construction and staff are currently mapping out the timing of various detours to understand the full impact.
“We understand road construction and closures can be frustrating for drivers,” says Gord Dykstra, Transit Manager, Medicine Hat Transit Services. “We too feel the pressures in Transit and must plan alternative routes to ensure our passengers can travel reliably to and from their destinations. During these times, we encourage transit riders to plan ahead and allow extra time.”
Transit will utilize various routes to detour around the downtown construction, including 4th Street and 4th Avenue, as well as River Road. To reach Crescent Heights, buses will detour along Parkview Drive NE to 12 Street NE. Phasing along Division Avenue South will allow for short detours around the work zones.
Transit riders can track the location of their bus in real time online at myride.mhtransit.ca.
For more information on Transit detours and route planning visit, medicinehat.ca/transit.

Stay informed

The City’s interactive Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Project Map helps identify major infrastructure ventures planned for the upcoming year. It outlines major construction projects taking place for parks, utilities and roadways over the next several months. Residents can use the map to see important infrastructure upgrades and learn more about each one. Each project on the map includes a description, an expected start and end date, and information about the project cost.
To stay up to date with road closures (live) and major projects (updated regularly), visit medicinehat.ca/major-projects.
For important updates, residents are also encouraged to follow the City of Medicine Hat on social media and sign up for e-notifications, including a weekly “Neat to Know” feature, at subscribe.medicinehat.ca.