Delays in the reconstruction of Elmdale Street in Steinbach, in front of the arenas, will create challenges for hockey players and fans for the next month or two. Phil Kalyta, the city's head engineer, says the street work fell a couple of weeks behind schedule earlier this summer due to some unforeseen problems with water main work. He notes a temporary access is being set up for the Centennial Arena.

"The arena is opening this week for Pistons' camp so we've got an access to the arena via Reimer Avenue. People wanting to access the arena can do it off of Reimer. There will be a walkway going from Reimer, beside the outdoor rink and into the main doors. So we will have pedestrian access for users of the arena because it's going to start well before the construction is completed."

As for other street construction projects in Steinbach, Kalyta says, on Main Street, work at three intersections is moving ahead well.

"The sequence of operations will be; they're going to get Reimer all complete, they're going to have Barkman all complete prior to the start of school so that the bus traffic can roll through and then they're going to finish the second half of Lumber after that. Everything is expected to be completed by the second week in September. We should be just over a week away from opening Reimer."

Meanwhile, Kalyta says the construction project at Highway #12 and Park Road is on schedule for a mid-September opening while the Highway #12-Madison Drive work is on target for completion in early September.

Construction at Main and Reimer is nearing completion