Drivers can brace themselves for another summer of major construction work on Highway #12 north in Steinbach. The intersection at Acres and Penfeld Drives will be completely rebuilt and traffic signals will be added along with pedestrian crossings. Head city engineer Phil Kalyta says traffic flow will be restricted starting right after the May long weekend.

"Obviously Highway #12 is a priority so we want to maintain at least one lane in each direction on Highway #12. When we can, we'll maintain access to Penfeld and Acres but, through the course of construction, there will be times when we won't be able to access those streets so there will be detours in place on those side streets."

Unlike last year, when Old Tom Road became a well used detour around Highway #12 construction, motorists will have to find other routes for part of the summer because Old Tom is going to be paved.

"Old Tom Road will have an asphalt surface put to it. It will link up with the existing asphalt on Park Road and Loewen Boulevard so we'll have a complete paved circuit there."

So Kalyta says Industrial Road will become the main detour around Highway #12 construction.

Meanwhile, he says the intersection work on Highway #12 will require that the service road in front of the RCMP station be closed. He notes that has triggered a reconfiguration of the RCMP property as well. And the service road in front of Three-Way Builders will come to a dead end before it reaches Acres Drive.

We'll have more Tuesday on the other road construction projects in the city this summer.