Frequently Asked Questions

The town has made it a priority in recent years to complete significant upgrades, replacing water lines and installing separate waste and storm sewer lines. The underground pipes at this intersection are critical and include a main water line that supplies the hospital.  Over the years, workers have completed a great deal of patchwork in this area to keep these lines open and flowing, but patchwork is no longer an option.  We must replace the infrastructure as it is at the end of life.

The construction area is the full intersection, extending slightly north and south on Main Street, just beyond the bridge on Vancouver Street, and the bottom portion of Chestnut Street. The work will be done in phases. Work includes full underground replacement of water and wastewater lines, an upgrade to audible pedestrian controllers, traffic lights upgrade, and a road rebuild. The work will be like what was done with the Glebe Street/Main Street/Parade Street sewer separation projects. Crews will replace the old combined rock sewer with separate sanitary and storm pipes. 

Construction is planned to start in early May and will extend to September. The timeline depends upon the weather, as well as unknowns during excavation.

The contractor will work to maintain access through the area for emergency vehicles. They will keep close communications with EHS (ambulance), fire, and police, and advise them of changes that affect lanes to the hospital.

Traffic delays and detours are unavoidable with this type of work. Anyone travelling to the hospital for work or services should plan ahead, consider alternate routes, and closely monitor updates from the Town of Yarmouth. Please see the “Keeping you Informed” section on this webpage.
 

The alternate route to the hospital is to access it from the west end of Vancouver Street where it meets the Main Shore Road. A suggested route is to travel southwest on Lakeside Road to Main Shore Road, connecting directly to top of Vancouver Street where the hospital is located. We have other sets of directions in our "Important Links" section of this web page that may help once work begins this spring.

The project will be completed by Aberdeen Paving, a local contractor with plenty of experience with this type of work. Aberdeen has completed most of these types of projects within the Town of Yarmouth in recent years.

Most of the work will take place within the intersection, and it will not significantly affect any nearby parking spaces. The bottom portion of Chestnut Street may temporarily lose some spaces as the work affects that area.

Construction will only take place within the town’s road allowance. We will fully restore disturbed driveways and boulevard areas to pre-construction conditions or better. Driveways will be re-graded as necessary to blend smoothly with the reconstructed roadway.

As part of the work, we will provide drainage improvements, such as new boulevard catch basins, as needed.

There may be periods where some sections of sidewalks near the intersection will not be available. During these periods, signage will direct pedestrians and help them maneuver through the work area.

While the bus will keep its regular stops during the construction, including stops at Yarmouth Regional Hospital, our drivers will need to travel through detours along with all other traffic, resulting in delays in the schedule. Scheduled pick up and drop off times may not be met. Changes to stops or significant delays will be announced through “Alertable”, the Town of Yarmouth website and social media. Significant changes to the schedule/route will also be announced on CJLS/Y95.

The Milton Horse will be safe. We will take every precaution to protect this important piece of our heritage during this project.

Separating the storm water lines from the sanitary sewer lines reduces the load on the town’s treatment plant, as clean rainwater flows directly to the harbour. This reduces electricity use at the plant and the overall level of annual “GHGs” (greenhouse gases) emitted by the town. The contractor will resurface the entire intersection with new asphalt, providing a much smoother ride. They will also replace the lights with audible pedestrian controllers to enhance accessibility.

No, these FAQs are not final. The information on this page will likely change as the project develops. As there are many unknowns with this type of work, change needs to be expected.