Maley Drive extension already on 'aggressive schedule'

Sudbury's$80 million dollar Maley Drive Extension is already taking shape, just weeks after the main contract was awarded.

Local construction company Terra North is being paid $37 millionto build the main section of the road between Lasalle Boulevard, near College Boreal,and Barrydowne Road.

After signing a contract last month, crews have already cleared a road corridor through the bush.

"There's been a lot of interest in this project and the contractors have been working around the clock to get it completed. We have a very aggressive schedule. And looks like we're going to meet that schedule," says city project manager Rob Rocca.

He says more work happens in the winter now, because of laws protecting migrating birds.

"Timing restrictions for clearing trees when birds are nesting and that's usually in the spring months, between May and September, so that's why they're clearing trees right now," says Rocca.

Roccasays one of the big jobs this year will be blasting out rocky hills at one end ofMaleyand trucking the stone to the other end to fill in swampy areas.

Hesays Maley Drive is so far on budget and on time, with the first traffic expected on the four lanes in the fall of 2019.