(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

project will take one year

Construction activity to start on hospital parkade expansion

Apr 19, 2024 | 4:45 PM

Alberta Health Services says construction will soon begin on expansion of the parkade at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.

Initial stages of construction begin April 22, with construction scaffolding to be installed over the parkade entrance, during which time traffic will be reduced to one lane.

The following day, scaffolding will be installed over the parkade’s west exit, which will result in traffic being reduced to one lane while work is completed.

AHS says that in order to mitigate traffic backups for staff, patients and visitors utilizing the parkade, work will be paused during peak hours. Scaffolding installed over the 39 Street parkade exit will occur on April 26, during which the exit will be inaccessible.

Patients might wish to leave earlier than usual to get to their appointments to avoid traffic delays, AHS notes.

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“Motorists are asked to please slow down when approaching or driving in the construction areas and to obey all posted signs and personnel directing traffic. Pedestrians are also asked to please keep to posted sidewalks for their safety around construction traffic,” AHS says in a release.

“Additionally, the parkade elevators will be shut down as of May 1, as the elevator shaft will need to be extended to two new levels being added to the parkade. As a safety precaution for elevator users as well as the workers, the elevators cannot operate while upgrade work is underway.”

The two new levels will add 500 parking spaces. The fifth level will be closed for the duration of the parkade expansion to allow for the new levels, built from large precast concrete pieces, to be added, but the remaining levels will continue to be accessible. The precast pieces for the new levels will be brought to site by truck beginning in early June, which could result in temporary disruptions to usual traffic in the area around the hospital, according to AHS.

As delivery dates are confirmed, details will be provided to neighbouring businesses, residents and the community for awareness.

Construction timelines and project updates will also continue to be posted online at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre Parkade Expansion | Together 4 Health (albertahealthservices.ca).

The parkade expansion project is expected to take one year to complete at a cost of $20 million.

It will be debt-financed by AHS Parking Services as no government-provided healthcare dollars are used to build, lease, maintain or administer parking.

The project is necessitated by the larger hospital expansion project, valued at $1.8 billion.

Public parking lots adjacent to the Central Alberta Cancer Centre and west of the parkade will be replaced when the new parkade stalls are added. Those parking lots will become part of the footprint of the new patient tower, which is part of the RDRHC redevelopment project.

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