Construction FAQs

• Residents will receive a notice by mail during the early stages of a project, which outlines the Council-approved planned work, introduces the project team and provides their contact information for questions.
• The project team will provide residents with further details through update notices, also by mail,  as the project progresses, including information on when construction will start and any planned service interruptions that may affect you or your property directly.

• Work crews will mark the location of underground utilities, such as gas, water and cable so construction work does not interfere with these utilities.
   
• Investigations to determine conditions below the surface of the roadway may be required. You may see drilling or other activities on your street as these investigations occur.
   
• Camera inspections of the sanitary and storm sewers in the roadway, as well as your sanitary sewer service from the main to your lot line, may be carried out to determine if repairs are needed.
   
• If a blasting pre-inspection of your home is required as part of construction, you will be contacted regarding a survey to be completed prior to construction begins. This survey is conducted by a third-party consultant and is a visual inspection of your home and other structures, complete with photos and/or video documentation. With permission, the consultant will enter the home to complete the interior portion of the survey.

• Residents may experience temporary traffic delays, reduction in lanes or road closures to accommodate specific construction activities.
• Delays are a routine part of construction taking place on city streets. Traffic control plans are in place to manage the flow of vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians and transit users in and around the construction site.
• Residents will be informed of upcoming changes on their street through update notices. The travelling public will be updated through public service announcements and social media updates. Efforts are made to minimize the length of any planned service interruptions or temporary conditions.

Planned construction work may affect driveway access temporarily. Should temporary driveway closures be needed as part of the work, the contractor will notify and coordinate with affected properties and arrange for alternate access and parking during short duration disruptions.

Access to businesses and public institutions will continue during business hours.

Changes to noise levels, dust and vibration due to equipment are part of construction work. The contractor will make efforts to minimize disruptions.

The Contractor will make every effort to maintain access for pedestrians, however, in some situations this may not be possible due to the nature of the construction operation. Clearly marked pedestrian detours will be provided in these circumstances.

Residents who have accessibility needs are asked to contact the City Field Inspector or Project Manager listed on the project notice or on the City’s website, to make required arrangements.  

All road users are considered during the planning of construction projects. While every effort is made to maintain access for people who ride bikes, temporary closures may be unavoidable due to the nature of the work and location of infrastructure.

Where cycling facilities are temporarily closed, people who cycle have two options to safely navigate the construction site:

1. Cyclists are reminded that under the Highway Traffic Act, they are defined as a vehicle and as such, are entitled to use an entire lane of any public roadway. Where cycling facilities may be unavailable, cyclists are encouraged to take the full lane of traffic to increase their visibility and navigate the site, or
2. Alternatively, people who ride bikes can choose to dismount and follow signage for pedestrian detours.

Construction activities may impact landscaping within the municipal right-of-way fronting your property.

Any work impacting private property will be communicated with affected property owners before construction starts.

To avoid damage during construction, residents are encouraged to remove or relocate any items or plantings located within the municipal right-of-way fronting your property such as shrubs, gardens, fences, sprinkler systems and other yard decorations or features.

Driveway and landscaping restoration will occur during the final stages of construction. Typically sod and landscaping will be reinstated during ideal growing seasons in early spring or late fall. Efforts will be made to replace landscaping it its original location, but some items may need to be relocated or moved further onto private property to allow for proper maintenance of the right-of-way.

Residents are asked to direct any questions to the City Field Inspector or Project Manager listed on the project notice.

PLANNED Temporary Water Service Interruptions

Where the scope of a construction project includes the replacement of a watermain residents in the construction area will be connected to a temporary water bypass system, so that they will continue to receive municipal water service while work is underway.

There will be two brief water service interruptions, to connect and disconnect the temporary water bypass system. The City’s contractor will provide notice in advance of shutting off water service.

UNPLANNED Temporary Water Service Disruption

On occasion, during construction, the water supply to your property may need to be shut off without notice. If you do not receive advance notice of a water disruption, this may mean an emergency shut-off was necessary.

In June 2018, City Council adopted the Complete Streets Policy. This means that wherever possible during road construction, the City is aiming to provide more safe, and convenient, transportation options for people who walk, ride a bicycle or use public transit.

In 2016, City Council also adopted a sustainability-focused Transportation Master Plan that is guided by three main principles of building healthy communities and ensuring sustainability and economic vitality for Greater Sudbury.

A complete street is designed to consider the needs of all users, including people who walk, ride a bicycle, take public transit or drive, as well as people of varying ages and abilities. While not every type of use or user may be accommodated on every street, the goal is to build a city with a well-functioning street network that supports and sustains our quality of life into the future.

For more information about Complete Streets and to review the City’s Complete Streets Policy, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/completestreets

The Transportation Master Plan for the City of Greater Sudbury recommends a network of cycling facilities to be installed throughout the community. The plan also recommended the development of a process for filling gaps in the pedestrian network by installing new sidewalks or paved paths, where needed.

For more information about the recommended cycling facility network, visit Section 9 of the Transportation Master Plan: www.greatersudbury.ca/live/transportation-parking-and-roads/road-plans-and-studies/transportation-master-plan/

In 2017, Council adopted the Sidewalk Priority Index, which is a tool used to prioritize investments in the pedestrian network, based on variety of criteria including traffic volumes, speeds, adjacent land uses, proximity to schools and other pedestrian generators.  

Municipal police, fire and emergency medical services are made aware of the scope of work and duration of construction that may affect how parts of the community are accessed. Access for police, fire and emergency medical service vehicles will be maintained.

Canada Post will inform residents directly of any changes to the scheduled route or provide a location where residents can pick up mail, should the planned construction work affect regular home mail delivery.

The Sudbury Student Services Consortium will notify residents prior to any changes if construction takes place while school is in session and school buses need to be re-routed or pick-up/drop-off locations need to be relocated.

Garbage, recycling, organics and leaf and yard trimmings pickup will continue during construction. Please place your waste at the front of your property before 7 a.m. on your regular collection day.

The contractor will transport the waste outside of the zone for pickup if waste collection vehicles are unable to access properties in the construction area. Your garbage, recycling and organics containers will be returned to your property later in the day. Please ensure your containers are labeled with your address so that they can be returned to you.

Route changes will be communicated on the GOVA Transit website and through the City of Greater Sudbury’s social media channels, should transit need to be re-routed.

Residents are asked to contact 311 with any specific GOVA or route-related questions.

The City’s contractor or consultant will perform a pre-construction survey of the interior and exterior of residences in advance of construction. These are typically required before blasting operations or when there is heavy vibration anticipated during construction.

Before Construction:

The City’s Contractor will contact residents within the affected area if a pre-construction survey of a home is required.

A pre-construction survey is conducted by a third-party consultant and is a visual inspection of the residence and other structures complete with photos and/or videos. The consultant will be required to enter the residence to complete the interior portion of the survey.

During Construction:

Monitoring will occur during vibratory and/or blasting operations. The blasting or vibration levels are monitored during the operations to ensure that they are maintained within allowable ranges.

Residents in the construction area can expect to feel some vibration and hear some noise.

Expect intermittent traffic delays during blasting operations. Traffic will be stopped in both directions for a period while the rock blasting work is actively occurring.

After Construction:

Once the work is complete, upon request to the contractor, the post-blast survey of your home can be made available to you.