Town of Ponoka

There will be a road closure on 51 Avenue (between 50 Street and 51 Street) beginning next week on Thursday, May 26 (weather dependent) as excavation and construction on the redevelopment of 51 Avenue gets underway. The road will be closed to traffic and on-street parking. The road closure is expected to remain in place until later in the fall. 

During construction along 51 Avenue, there will also occasionally be a partial disruption to traffic along 50 Street and 51 Street. Construction will generally take place Monday to Saturday with the possibility of some Sundays if required. 

Motorists are asked to please drive with caution in the area and watch for posted signs and traffic safety personnel. Pedestrians are asked to please stay on the designated pedestrian walkways which will be marked with signage.

“The redevelopment of 51 Avenue is critical to promoting economic development in our community and to attract new businesses, shoppers and tourism to Ponoka. We look forward to a newly redeveloped roadway, sidewalks and supporting infrastructure in the near future that will benefit businesses and the whole community for many years to come,” said Town of Ponoka Mayor Kevin Ferguson. 

Improvements Planned for 51 Avenue

The improvements planned for 51 Avenue will replace aging infrastructure that has reached the end of its lifecycle and will include:

• Excavation and replacement of underground water service connections, sanitary sewer and stormwater infrastructure;
• Reconstruction of the 51 Avenue road base followed by asphalt paving and line marking;
• Concrete sidewalk replacement and upgrades;
• Landscaping including new shrubs and trees;
• Redevelopment and design improvements to the municipal parking lot on the south side of 51 Avenue; and
• Lighting upgrades.

Businesses Will Remain Open

Once the road is closed, pedestrians will still be able to access businesses along 51 Avenue. The Town and contractor will work with businesses to coordinate pedestrian access to affected businesses throughout the entire project. During the replacement of sidewalks, access to storefront entrances may be temporarily interrupted but alternate access options to these businesses will be facilitated at that time, allowing for continued customer access to 51 Avenue businesses.

Parking

During construction, public parking on 51 Avenue will be available in the municipal parking lot on the south side of 51 Avenue with access from the alley at 51 Street. Redevelopment and improvements to this parking lot will occur near the end of the project. At that time, 51 Avenue will reopen for on-street parking. Overflow parking is also available in the municipal parking lot at 52 Avenue and 51 Street across from the Ponoka United Church.

Project Updates

Updates on the 51 Avenue Redevelopment Project will be provided throughout the construction period. If you have any questions about the 51 Avenue Redevelopment Project, please submit an Online Service Request here or phone the Town Office at 403-783-4431 where staff can help submit the request for you. 

Take a Virtual Tour of the 51 Avenue Improvements

A virtual video tour of the improvements being made to 51 Avenue is available here. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.

For more information on the 51 Avenue Redevelopment Project, please click here.