Some concerns have been raised that the appearance of the median wall looks rusty. This is because weathering steel (sometimes referred to as Corten steel) was selected for use for both the median wall and planter bed edges.

Why did we choose this option? Quite a few reasons actually!

• It is highly durable, extremely low maintenance. Over time, weathering steel develops a natural, protective patina, so it does not need to be touched-up or re-painted if it is nicked or scratched, which helps keep maintenance costs low. It is also resistant to de-icing salt that would cause rusting to painted steel.
• It provides colour to an environment containing a lot of grey concrete and asphalt. The warm toned, orange/brown patina provides a bit of colour to the street, particularly during the winter when the leaves have fallen, and the planting is dormant. The earth tone is complimentary to the green foliage during the growing seasons. It also ties in with Columbus Park, as this is the same steel that was used for the flower beds in the park.
• Steel is a relatively thin material, which enabled the greatest width of planting to be provided in the median. This ensures the median can include more soil (to help sustain healthy trees) and planting, resulting in a greater visual impact.

While the City Centre area has different features than some of our other roads in Spruce Grove, our snow removal crews will be just as diligent with snow removal as they are on other streets and roadways. Stay tuned to learn more about how snow removal in the City Centre will happen.

In the spring of 2024 contractors will be coming back to complete the landscaping and finishing touches in the McLeod Avenue/Main Street area.

There will be several types of trees, shrubs, and grasses throughout the City Centre. A lot of thought goes into what types of landscaping should be planted. For example: trees need to have a high canopy so that branches are not affecting pedestrians or cars. They need to be salt tolerant as they will be exposed to materials, such as salt, that are spread on the road and then migrate to the root system.

Elm and Ash trees were chosen and will be planted along the sidewalks. For shrubs, varieties that do not spread or obstruct sight lines are important. Varieties such as junipers and Concorde Barberrys will be planted in the centre median and around the area. Various grasses and perennials will be planted as well to brighten up the space such as various daylilies.

All the species were chosen due to their easy maintenance and their ability to survive our harsh winters.

The decision was made to decrease the parking in the area to accommodate transit buses, which are not compatible with angled parking which was in the City Centre, previously. The parking spots are now all parallel parking, allowing easy access for buses to travel along the roads. There is plenty of public parking around the area on adjacent streets as well as in the City Centre.

The tuning lanes were removed to increase pedestrian safety. Multiple lanes create visual hazards and it is easy for drivers to forget to check for pedestrians. This intersection is also not properly aligned meaning the westbound and eastbound lanes don’t line up, creating another potential hazard.

For background FAQ's on the project visit the City Centre webpage.