Argyle Crescent and Princess Street Road Reconstruction

PROJECT NAME: Argyle Cres. Reconstruction/Princess St. and Westchester Ave. Underground Improvements  

PROJECT NO: P19-067/P21-001 

The City of St. Catharines is undertaking a Road Reconstruction Project on Argyle Crescent and Princess Street (south of Westchester Avenue). The project also includes underground infrastructure improvements along sections of Westchester Avenue and Princess Street (south of Westchester Avenue).  Please be advised that a contract for this project has been awarded.  The successful contractor, Rankin Construction Inc. is tentatively scheduled to start work this November 2026. The construction should be completed in late spring of 2027 with final restoration, weather permitting.

PROJECT LIMITS

The scope of the proposed construction project includes:

• Road reconstruction on Princess Street and Argyle Crescent.
• Replacement of the watermain on Princess Street (south of Westchester 
  Avenue) and on Westchester Avenue from the Highway 406 off-ramp to Collier 
  Street.
• Replacement of the storm sewer on Princess Street.
• Rehabilitation of sections of the existing sanitary sewer along Westchester Avenue utilizing trenchless lining methods.
• Restoration of sidewalks, curbs, boulevards, and driveways that may be disturbed during construction

Every effort will be made to maintain access to abutting properties and to minimize inconvenience to businesses, residents and pedestrians.  A construction inspector, from the City, will be present on site during construction and can be contacted for information. 

In order to protect construction workers and the public and to complete the work safely and in a timely manner, temporary lane restrictions will be in place for most of the construction operations.  Road closures and detours will be avoided as much as possible.  Although the contractor will implement necessary traffic control measures, minor traffic congestion or delays will be unavoidable at certain times.  The contractor will ensure that Emergency Services have access to properties throughout construction. Please contact us if you have any specific accessibility requirements or concerns. Although the contractor is required to provide safe pedestrian access, care should be exercised when walking through or near any construction zones. The Contractor has been asked to allow for parking as much as practical during the construction.

Due to the scope of the work involved, on-street parking will be restricted during various stages of construction and on-street parking will not be possible on Argyle Crescent and Princess Street during working hours in the construction zone. Residents are requested to please park in their driveways, where possible, or find alternative parking on adjacent streets when required during construction. 

Pre-construction Inspections

Prior to construction commencing, representatives from OZA Inspections Ltd. will be contacting you to arrange for an inspection of the interior and exterior of your building. The purpose of this inspection is to determine and document the extent of any cracking or other damage that exists prior to the commencement of construction. This information can then be used to determine the extent of the Contractor's responsibility in the unlikely event that damages to your building occur during construction. The representatives will have identification with them.

Garbage and Recycling Collection during Construction 
As a result of the proposed construction on your street, it may at times be difficult for the garbage and recycling vehicles to collect your waste.  Therefore, until the construction work is completed to a point where the vehicles may travel safely in your area at their normal collection time, we are requesting that the garbage and recycling be placed out for collection by 6:30a.m. or alternatively the evening before your scheduled day. The garbage and recycling trucks will be dispatched regularly, however, if there is no access to pick-up the waste in front of your property due to construction, the construction crews may relocate the garbage to a more convenient area for pickup before starting work each morning. Thank you for your cooperation in this regard.

Disruption to Water Service 
At points during construction, your water service will need to be shut off. This has to be done in order for crews to install new water mains and/or service lines.  You will be notified in advance of all planned water shut offs. You will be notified a minimum of 48 hours in advance of all planned water shuts offs. There is also the possibility for emergency unplanned water shut offs. These can happen when watermains burst or when service lines are ruptured. Crews will restore your water service as quickly as possible during these circumstances. For both planned and unplanned water shut offs, once water service is restored, we recommend running a cold water tap for 5 minutes prior to drinking tap water. 

Restoration 
Residents should note that at some locations private irrigation/sprinkler systems may have been installed within the boulevard or easement. The City-owned boulevard is the part of a road allowance from the curb or edge-of-road to the property line. The boulevard may or may not include a sidewalk. Such irrigation/sprinkler installations are prone to damage during maintenance or renewal of underground infrastructure and new utility installations. The City cannot be held liable for damage to anything installed in the boulevard without the City’s approval. Therefore, residents are requested to identify and clearly mark any parts of their private irrigation/sprinkler systems prior to construction. The Construction Inspector will
indicate if any marked systems are in the way of proposed construction. We will be installing new sod eventually in some locations and would ask for your cooperation in keeping this sod watered. Damage to boulevards and/or driveway aprons due to construction will be restored once the project is complete. If your boulevard or driveway is damaged during construction and is not restored, please contact us. 

Health Precautions
Please be aware that the City’s contractors are required to strictly adhere to the health and safety guidelines for workplaces as required by the Province and local Public Health Authorities.   

Project Contacts during Construction 
We look forward to working with you and having our Contractor complete this project in a professional and timely manner.  If you have any questions, or require further information, please contact the inspector on site or one of the Project Team members identified below.

Corey Sciarra C.E.T. 
Senior Project Manager 
City of St. Catharines 
905-680-7121 
Email: csciarra@stcatharines.ca

Justin Burden 
Construction Inspector 
City of St. Catharines 
Email: jburden@stcatharines.ca  

The City of St. Catharines recognizes that construction is an inconvenience to residents and business owners.  Every effort will be made to minimize any inconvenience to local residents and to carry out the work with as few interruptions to services as possible.  We thank-you for your patience.  Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated.