Repave coming for Old Malone Highway
The portion of the Old Malone Highway being repaved goes from the tunnel to the intersection with Highway 132. Olivier Cadotte The Eastern Door
Another important road work project will be happening in the streets of Kahnawake this year, this time on the stretch of Old Malone Highway between the Canadian Pacific Kansas City Railway tunnel and the intersection with Highway 132.
The project, starting on Monday and planned to be completed by October 3, is planned maintenance of the asphalt of that portion of road rather than an emergency fix, according to Elizabeth Marcelin from the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK)’s Capital Unit.
“It’s not a full redo,” said Marcelin.
The asphalt will be stripped and grated, gravel and stones will be removed or added in some areas to make the road smoother, and then the road will be repaved.
While there are few extremely problematic areas on that portion of the road due to regular maintenance, the current road is still a patchwork of areas with quickly fixed pothole patching, and some uneven areas that have become more sloped over time.
“We’re reconfiguring some things, because we had some water accumulation at some places, where drainage is a problem. So, we’re just doing a few tweaks,” said Marcelin.
Areas where drainage has been an issue include the area by the lift station on Old Malone Highway.
“We have noted that there’s a lot of accumulation of water at this place,” said Marcelin.
“We’ll readjust the drainage. We’ll slope the crown of the road and try to clean up the ditch there and make it have a better drainage.”
During the month-long work, which will require a complete closure of that stretch of road, different detour possibilities to get into town will be accessible.
To get into the village, drivers can still go around to the other end of Old Malone Highway, on the portion that has the entry into the Kahnawake Sports Complex and the existing detour to get onto Old Chateauguay Road.
For places on Old Malone Highway that sit in the middle of the stretch of road, like for example the Kahnawake Office Complex, a detour along the seaway will exist, although it will be marked as reserved for local drivers only.
To help alleviate the time needed for the road work, Marcelin said that workers will strip the asphalt in two teams, to get the removal done in a shorter amount of time.
Each team will be starting in the middle of the road, making their way to their respective end of the work area.
“We know that Old Malone is an important main road,” said Marcelin.
Sign up for email updates from The Eastern Door
“With two teams, it goes relatively fast.”
Late summer and early fall often mean rainy, windy days, which can interrupt construction, leading to delays. For certain facets of the project, including asphalt removal, MCK will still work in the rain, Marcelin said, as long as it is not too extreme.
