Wood Buffalo residents can expect more road closures in the downtown area thanks to the start of the 2015 construction season and a number of planned upgrades to the roads and other infrastructure in the works. Some of the upgrades include road repaving or replacement, water and sewer main upgrades, and adding sidewalks, curbs, and even landscaping in the downtown area of Fort MacMurray. This means traffic rerouting and the potential for some congestion as the construction picks up. This can also mean some frayed tempers as the warm weather heats up. The Hardin Street westbound lane allowing traffic onto Highway 63 is closed until the middle of July, and there are other short term road closures in the downtown area as well. Motorists are advised to check for closures on a regular basis.

The Wood Buffalo and Fort MacMurray rood closures will be going on until the end of the construction season. Residents can check for road closures online at rmwb.ca/construction. Some of the other road closures that motorists should be aware of include:

• On May 20-21 a portion of MacDonald Avenue near the Jubilee Plaza will be closed.
• Morrison Street between Manning and Franklin will be closed to traffic until some time in September.
• Hospital Street between Manning and Fitzgerald Avenue will also be closed until September.
• Some areas on Beacon Hill Drive, Grayling Terrace, Timberlea, Abasand Drive, Ross Haven, Drive, Athabasca Avenue, and Timberline Drive will be closed at some point this season.