Water Street Infrastructure Project

The second phase of a five-year construction project to rehabilitate water and sewer infrastructure on Water Street will begin in early April between Bishop’s Cove and Ayre’s Cove and is anticipated to be completed by the end of June.

Two drop-in information sessions are scheduled for businesses, residents and property owners:

Tuesday, March 19 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Thursday, March 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Foran/Greene Room, Fourth floor, City Hall

The sessions will provide an opportunity for the public to learn more about what will be happening on site and to connect directly with City staff, the project consultant, a dedicated business liaison and members of City Council regarding questions and concerns they may have.

The intersection of Water Street and George Street/Beck’s Cove will see the bulk of the underground work and significant heavy equipment will be operating in the area. Parking meters will be bagged throughout the work zone to help maintain safe access for motor vehicles and pedestrians.

Since planning for the project began in 2015, the City has been working closely with a downtown stakeholder committee. Based on feedback from the business community during the first phase of the project in 2018, a plan is in place to improve signage for pedestrians during the next phase.

While some of the project can be completed using trenchless technology, traditional open excavation will also be required in places.

The City of St. John’s is planning for the next phase of the Water Street infrastructure project, set to continue in spring 2019. The next phase of work will be between Bishop’s Cove and Ayre’s Cove. City staff are currently preparing documentation to pre-qualify contractors.

Last year the City completed the first phase of the project, from Queen Street to Adelaide Street, by early July and held a debrief with business owners and organizations. The "What we Heard" document is available here.

Property owners, business owners, managers and those living in the area, especially those who are in the next section (from Bishop’s Cove to Ayre’s Cove) are encouraged to attend the session.

Water Street Infrastructure Project – Phase Two
Drop in Information Session
Friday, Nov. 16
10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Rocket Room, Rocket Bakery
272 Water Street

Please RSVP by email to engage@stjohns.ca

The City will hold another information session for businesses prior to work commencing in the Spring. Updates and information will also be made available on this page.

On July 10 the City hosted a debrief session with the business community to discuss Phase 1 of the Water Street Infrastructure Project. At the session, the city shared what had worked well and what was challenging and provided those in attendance with an opportunity to provide their input as well. Notes from the session can be found in the document library.

All underground work for the first phase of the five-year project to rehabilitate infrastructure on Water Street will be completed this week. The temporary watermain will be removed from businesses and all curb, gutter and the first layer of asphalt in place by Saturday, June 30.

The final layer of asphalt, and some small sections of sidewalk at both Bishop’s Cove and Queen Street intersections will be completed after the Canada Day long weekend. Any unfinished areas will be made safe for pedestrians during the weekend and completed during the first week of July.

The City recognizes that this project has been challenging for everyone. As communicated at the beginning of the project, a debrief session is planned for phase one. Water Street businesses, property owners and employees are invited to attend. Members of City Council, City staff, and the engineering consultant will be there.

Water Street Construction - Phase One Debrief

Tuesday, July 10

11 a.m. to noon

Foran Greene Room

Fourth floor, City Hall

The debrief will focus on what worked well during phase one, what was challenging, and what can be improved for phase two, starting in 2019.

The first phase of the five-year project to rehabilitate 100-year-old infrastructure on Water Street is nearing completion with all the underground work on schedule to be complete by June 30. Much of the paving work that is required to complete phase one is weather dependent and some work may continue in July; the City will provide another progress update next week.

While all underground work is on schedule to be completed by June 30, there is a possibility that paving may continue in to July.

Once the project is complete, the City will hold a debrief session with business owners and other impacted stakeholders to discuss lessons learned through phase one to ensure we can apply these learnings to the next phases of the project.

Some of the major work completed to date includes new: sewer lining; manholes; sanitary sewer pipe; storm sewer pipe; catch basins; and, new traffic infrastructure at the intersection of Queen Street and Water Street.

On Monday, April 2, construction will begin at the intersection of Queen Street and Water Street for the first phase of a five-year project to rehabilitate underground infrastructure. During phase one construction will continue in the section of Water Street between Waldegrave Street and Bishop’s Cove. Hours of construction are Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. with phase one expected to be completed by July 1.

Traffic and Parking
Queen Street will be closed to through traffic from George Street to Water Street for at least three to four weeks. Traffic on Water Street will be reduced to one lane at times, with two-way traffic maintained by flagpersons. Thirteen parking stalls will be bagged in the area to accommodate heavy equipment and to maintain traffic flow. Sign up for traffic advisories at stjohns.ca.

Water Street is Open
Sidewalks will remain open and two-way traffic maintained throughout the project. Although traffic delays may occur, Water Street will remain open and accessible to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for the duration of the project.

Project Updates
As with any underground construction project there are many variables that can impact the timeline. The contractor is committed to working as quickly as possible to complete phase one by July 1.

This page is not intended to replace other information such as Public Advisories or Public Notices (e- updates), for day to day updates such as traffic or water interruptions, etc. check the City's website

March 5, 2018 News Release

On Monday, March 5, City Council awarded the tender for the first phase of the five-year project to rehabilitate water and sewer infrastructure on Water Street. Work is set to begin between Waldegrave Street and Bishop’s Cove in early April.

"At the request of the downtown business community, and to minimize disruption, the bulk of the underground and excavation work is scheduled to be completed before the heaviest peak of tourist season in July and August," said Mayor Danny Breen. "To meet this aggressive timeline the tender includes penalties and incentives to ensure the work is completed as quickly and efficiently as possible."

While some the infrastructure rehabilitation will be completed using trenchless technology, excavation will also be required. The intersections of Water Street and Queen Street, and Water Street and Bishop’s Cove will see significant heavy equipment in order to access the underground infrastructure.

"We are hosting two, informal, drop-in style information sessions for area business and property owners to connect directly with City staff, the project consultant, the contractor, and members of City Council," said Councillor Dave Lane. "These sessions continue our ongoing dialogue with the downtown community to ensure that they are up to date on the project plan."

Water Street Businesses and Property Owners

Drop-in Information Sessions

Foran/Greene Room, Fourth floor, City Hall

 Tuesday, March 20 from 7 to 9 p.m.

 Thursday, March 22 from 9 to 11 a.m.

Pedestrian and motor vehicle access will be maintained in the construction areas however delays are expected. Motorists may be subject to detours for safety reasons.

Following discussions with utility providers and an assessment of the use of trenchless technology to address the aging water and sewer infrastructure along Water Street, the City of St. John’s is now prepared to move forward with plans for a rehabilitation program, beginning in 2018.　

The first phase of the five-year project will occur on the west end of Water Street between Queen Street and Bishop’s Cove. City engineering staff are currently working with CBCL Limited to pre-qualify contractors in December and award the contract in early 2018 to facilitate work being able to start in early spring. 　

“The goal is to have the major work completed before the peak of each tourist season to minimize disruption,” explained Councillor Dave Lane. “This is in response to feedback we have received from the Downtown Stakeholder Committee and others in the past two years as we have prepared for this complicated and extensive project.”　

In 2015, the City of St. John’s started work to prepare for the replacement of the water and sewer infrastructure along Water Street. It was expected the project would start in 2016 and run for three to five years. While the project is necessary, there were many concerns expressed about the impact of such a significant tear up. So, in the fall of 2015 the City established a Downtown Stakeholder Committee to share and discuss information related to the project and seek input from them. Ultimately, a recommendation to delay the project was made and in December 2016 the City announced opportunities to rehabilitate the majority of the water and sewer infrastructure on Water Street using trenchless technologies. 　

“While the use of trenchless technology will minimize the need for extensive tear-ups along this busy and important street, traditional open excavation will also be required,” said Councillor Lane. “Our goal is to minimize the impacts, ensuring that vehicle and pedestrian access are maintained to the extent possible throughout the project’s complete timeline.”　

The City will communicate extensively in the preparation and construction phases, using its website and this engagement page to share project information and updates.