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The City of Regina says a temporary stormwater bypass that was installed as an emergency response east of the Albert Street Memorial Bridge last summer will remain in place for the rest of 2024.
Located near Speakers’ Corner in Wascana Centre, the bypass consists of nine large pumps which will be activated again this spring to manage meltwater and rain, said a news release issued Friday.
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As a result, the stairwell and “under-bridge path,” which is home to a mural project created by local artists, will remain closed on both sides of the bridge. The promenade on the west end of Wascana Lake will be open except during “heavy rainfall events.”
“The safety of Regina residents and Wascana Centre users is our number one priority,” the release said.
The city is working on a long-term solution to redirect stormwater and “restore” the northwest entrance to Wascana Centre. It is collaborating with local Indigenous nations, the Provincial Capital Commission and Water Security Agency in hopes of “finding efficiencies and cost-savings whenever possible.”
Indigenous stakeholders have been invited to “advise and engage with the intent to incorporate Indigenous perspectives into the project outcomes.”
“We are dedicated to building meaningful relationships with the Indigenous community,” deputy city manager of city operations Kurtis Doney said in the release.
Construction on a permanent system is set to begin in 2025 on the heels of this years’ planning of engineering and design.
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A sinkhole in the backyard of a home nearby alerted the city to the collapse of a massive underground stormwater pipe last June. Four trees on the northwest edge of the park were then removed to make room for the bypass.
More than six feet in diameter, the pipe provided stormwater service from Albert Street to Winnipeg Street and from College Avenue to Victoria Avenue.
“The work on the permanent system will start when we are comfortable that the temporary stormwater is in place,” Doney, then acting executive director of citizen services for the city, said at the time.
The original storm-drain system was installed in approximately 1948 and a long-term solution will require “rerouting” of the current pipe systems, the city said last year.
— with files from Alec Salloum
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