Weather washes out construction

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This article was published 07/07/2022 (805 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The above-average rainfall this spring is making life difficult for construction crews.

While they prepared for a wet spring, the lack of reprieve from frequent rainfalls has been a challenge.

“It’s moved everything back at least a couple of weeks,” said Chris Lorenc, president of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association.

“The problem is start, stop, start, stop. When the area you’re proposing to excavate or start to rebuild, floods with water, you have to pump it out and let the conditions return to dry before you continue working. We’ve been doing the best we can given the circumstances Mother Nature has provided.”

The city had more than 115 mm of rain in April, May and June; this year’s total precipitation is already the highest amount since 2016.

“The past few years we’ve had really good weather, so we’ve been able to start early and work into November. This year has been the opposite,” Lorenc said. “Work days that are cancelled because of weather are added onto the back end and that eliminates the ability of the project to be completed when it’s scheduled to be.”

The association represents 400 members, including contractors, suppliers and associated financial and bonding companies.

Lorenc said contracts recognize that rain and moisture delays are possible and extensions are often possible. He’s hopeful that the projects they have taken on will be completed this season.

While rain continues to show up in the city’s forecast, Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure continues to work on flood recovery projects across the province.

“The department is assessing the full extent of the damage, including which repairs will take priority over others,” a provincial spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “Significant precipitation caused by six Colorado Low weather systems over the months of April and May, on top of the winter snow pack (the third record level since 1872), caused flooding throughout Manitoba. The wet weather has resulted in delays to the start of construction for a number of projects.”

Some of the major projects on the table for Manitoba Infrastructure include the St. Mary’s Interchange Project, which involves upgrading the Perimeter Highway to a freeway standard; and the Lake Manitoba and Lake St. Martin outlet channels, which will enhance flood protection to to the Interlake communities.

“MTI recognizes that due to the high volume of flood recovery repairs required, extra efforts will be needed to achieve the ambitious capital plan for 2022. In addition, the department is working to mitigate the potential impact of delays with a continued focus on project management and multi-year budgeting.”

The representative said third-party engineering service providers are being used to assist with designs for flood repairs to minimize project delays.

bryce.hunt@freepress.mb.ca