Revitalizing Local Heritage: South Link Connection Project
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Lafarge was the prime general contractor on the South Link Connection project, which aimed to maintain one of the few gravel roads remaining in a Chestermere community. This multi-year project aimed to transition the road into a modern paved thoroughfare, bringing greater connectivity to the town.
The project encompasses the construction of two new bridges spanning over the Western Irrigation District canals. A new bridge will extend over the canal south of Kinniburgh Blvd to connect it to Range Road 282. Lafarge is responsible for all works on this project, including stormwater and drainage systems and deep utilities.
THE CHALLENGE
Lafarge’s expert teams strategically managed several predominant challenges fundamental to the project's success. The gravel road is old, and the teams need to be careful when handling the upgrades to prevent any damage to the existing structure.
With an average daily traffic volume of 800 vehicles, effective traffic diversion and management stand as critical imperatives. Lafarge teams have extensive experience with similar projects that required setting up relevant precautions and safety measures and were prepared to keep things running smoothly and efficiently.
As a contractor, Lafarge also needed to consider the following:
- Environmental restrictions
- Legislative requirements
- Health and safety concerns
- Stakeholder concerns
- Resource Logistics
- Long-term project continuity
Lafarge also needed to manage utilities, provide detailed environmental plans, and coordinate with stakeholders to minimize the overall impact on their daily lives.
THE SOLUTION
The project’s management centred around two key aspects:
- Stormwater and Drainage Management
- Quality Assurance and Stakeholder Engagement
With dozens of culvert installations across the project site, storm ponds and water mains, project coordination needed to include all the required environmental considerations to mitigate potential impacts.
Lafarge's in-house environmental team is committed to ensuring that the project operations comply with existing environmental legislation and in accordance with sound principles of environmental stewardship.
Our Environmental Management Plan included the development of environmental protection plans, regular staff training, and ongoing monitoring and reporting. Protection of environmental features is an integral part of this undertaking. Construction activities on this Project site adhere to guidelines, including:
- Legislative jurisdictional requirements
- Environmental management system; and
- Environmental protection plans
The company’s Environmental Management System objectives were to:
- State Lafarge's corporate environmental protection plan and philosophy;
- Ensure the long-term ecological sustainability of the project
- Facilitate compliance with environmental legislation, regulations, and conditions of approvals
- Ensure that proper records are maintained to meet regulatory obligations and permit Lafarge to monitor the effectiveness of its environmental protection plans.
Stakeholder engagement was essential to Lafarge's project management strategy to minimize impacts. The team members worked extended hours to reduce the overall effects of construction, easing the burden on the community.
Lafarge also liaised with stakeholders to coordinate construction activities. This included the PM project manager for initial communications with every member of the site personnel during the project activities. Effective communication did not affect the budget or schedule but elevated stakeholder value and community goodwill.
As an industry leader in safety, Lafarge focused on protecting its internal personnel and made every effort to protect the public from work areas and equipment during and after hours. All equipment was locked out, with keys kept off-site so they could not be started or moved after hours.
Additionally, Lafarge’s project management team has a valid First Aid certificate. They have received Legislation Awareness, Contractor Management, and Traffic Accommodation training. Every crew has a First Aider on site at all times. As a result, the team is made up of qualified and skilled professionals and provides tremendous value.
THE RESULT
The $10,000,000 is underway and following the original schedule for project deliverables. The community engagement efforts have successfully kept the disruption from the construction to a minimum.
Coordinating with emergency service stakeholders has also contributed to the success, allowing the team to always be prepared for any injuries on the field. The client is happy with the progress, and it has helped the company maintain its incredible reputation in the construction industry.
