Drivers diverted from roadwork on Franklin Avenue say they鈥檙e treating the weeks-long detour as a necessary annoyance.

鈥淲e鈥檙e happy when the road is done ... it鈥檚 worth it, always,鈥� said Claudia Bruehlmann, a grounds maintenance worker who spoke to Yellowknifer while on the job in the city鈥檚 Forrest Drive neighbourhood.

As part of the city's 2018 paving project, contracted to NWT Construction Ltd., the work will see an stretch of Franklin Avenue from Forrest Drive to Gitzel Street closed. Work will include asphalt resurfacing from Norseman Drive to Old Airport Road, curb and gutter replacement, installation of a three-metre asphalt pathway on each side of the road and improvements to street lighting,鈥� states information from the city.

In the meantime, motorists will be detoured through residential streets.

Drivers who normally take Franklin Avenue when coming from downtown will now make a left turn on Reservoir Road before turning right on Forrest Drive. Drivers will then hook back up with Franklin after turning left at the Mac's convenience store. That store is currently closed for renovations.

The same goes for motorists heading downtown, but in reverse, of course.

Gitzel Street traffic will be channeled through Matonabee Street. Forrest Drive traffic signals will stay up and running.

The detour itself is set to end in three to four weeks, when part of Franklin Avenue is due to open, but construction won鈥檛 end until mid-September, city spokesperson Richard McIntosh stated in an email.

Bruehlmann, who avoided the Franklin detour area after her first encounter Wednesday, said navigating construction areas is all about picking your spots.

鈥淚 just plan my way around it basically,鈥� said Bruehlmann, whose job requires her to drive across town regularly,
鈥淚f you plan it right, you鈥檙e still OK,鈥� she said, admitting the detour added unexpected time to her own commute Wednesday.

鈥淚 was actually late to work because I didn鈥檛 know (about the construction),鈥� she said.

Another Forrest Drive resident, Emily Bracken, said the street was busier, with a 鈥渢on of traffic鈥� through the residential street.

While the redirected flow of vehicles doesn鈥檛 bother her, Bracken said the noise might begin to grind her gears in a month's time.

A Forrest Avenue man, who wished not to be identified, called the large scale construction undertaking 鈥渄isappointing,鈥� giving the construction seen during the same time last year, but said he 鈥渨e have to move forward.鈥�

Echoing Bruehlmannm鈥檚 comments, Kam Lake area resident Lucy Lu, who drives to her downtown office daily, said the minor inconveniences and headaches are worth it down the road.

鈥淥verall it鈥檚 okay because they need to get better roads. For me, cost not is too big of a difference, just a little traffic,鈥� said Lu.