Two construction projects set to begin

As the old saying goes, in Canada there are two seasons, winter and road construction. Well, the weather is warming up, and we will begin to see some significant work starting around the hospital in a couple of weeks.

As you may recall, the City of Kingston will begin construction work to replace aging infrastructure underneath George St. later this month. Crews will begin their work at the corner of King St. and George St. in late June and will move in phases towards Stuart St. The work should be complete sometime in the fall. The City will complete the rest of the project by working on Stuart and Arch St. next summer.

Meanwhile, a significant project to upgrade our main entrance will begin in the next two to three weeks. KGH will be ripping up and repaving the laneways that lead to the main Kidd-Davies entrance off Stuart St. The hospital will also be digging down to place a waterproof membrane in the area to prevent water from leaking into the Atrium.

“This important work will improve safety as it will allow us to even out the pavement, fix trip hazards and potholes and eliminate hazards associated with building leaks," says Allan McLuskie, Director of Facilities Management. "We want our main entrance to be easy to navigate for everyone, including those with mobility issues.”

To make sure this work has as little impact on patients and families as possible, the majority of it will be done after peak hours, in the evening and on weekends. The project should take about six weeks, but will be done in phases so that only small areas are being worked on at a time.

For example, during a two-week period the driveway underneath the canopy will be closed to traffic so that work there can be completed. During this time, traffic will be re-routed so that patient drop-offs and pick-ups can be done outside of the Armstrong Wing entrance. Traffic will then be able to exit onto Lower University Ave. The small parking lot to the right of the main entrance will become a short-term parking area during the project to help with pick-ups and drop-offs. The number of disabled parking spots won't change.

“We’ll make sure there is proper signage and we’ll also have staff on hand to direct traffic through the area,” says Chris Rousseau, Manager of Maintenance, Planning, Projects and Quality. “We’re also making sure that the main entrance door will remain open and accessible at all times.”

“We have planned this project so that it will have as little impact on patients and families as possible. We are also working with a number of departments and stakeholders around the hospital who have business that may be impacted by the work,” says McLuskie.