Cranbrook will get more streets done this year

All of the planned roads, including the optional ones, will be undertaken this year thanks to a lower than expected tender.

The city had some good news on the 2015 Capital Roads Program — namely that since the tender came back lower than expected, all of the planned roads, including the optional ones, will be undertaken this year.

The city received a single tender for the roads program from Interoute Construction Ltd, of which BA Blacktop in Cranbrook is a division.

The submitted tender price was just under $2.7 million, excluding taxes. That price includes both the Roads Program at $2.3 million and the resurfacing of the Airport Access Road within the airport property at $375,000. The Airport Access Road money comes from the Airport Fund.

Eric Sharpe, director of Engineering and Development Services for the city, explained the news.

“There was a certain number of roads out there that we knew that we’d be able to do,” Sharpe said. “We had some optional work as well. The tender came in very goods as far as we were concerned, so we will be undertaking all the optional work as well.”

Mayor Lee Pratt noted that  meant that all the roads that were planned for will be resurfaced.

“’The initial roads that we’d planned on resurfacing — we’re going ahead with that  — and also the ones that are the next option,” Pratt said.

Sharpe said the tender was worded to account for the core roads that the city knew it had a budget to do, then a number of optional roadwork depending on how the tender came in.

“The way that it came in, we will be doing that,” he said.

Coun. Isaac Hockley asked if they have done a media release to inform the public about the roadwork news.

“I think Cranbrook will be really excited to hear that,” Hockley said.

CAO Wayne Staudt noted that the information was being made public at the meeting and the city would do a press release in the next few days.

“As the mayor just mentioned and Eric (Sharpe) just confirmed, we’re able to do a lot more roads with the budget we set aside then what we anticipated, so it’s very good news, because we’re getting all the optional roads done,” Staudt said. “If at the end of this process, after we’ve done the desired roads and the optional roads and we still have some money left in the budget, then we might come back to council and say do you want to do some more roads.”

Staudt noted that would be if the contractor maintained their prices.

The project will include resurfacing of the following roads: Kootenay St North (21st Ave North to Kootenay Place); 26th Ave South and 2A St South (3rd St South to 27th Ave South); Cranbrook Street North (2nd St North to Highway 3); 2nd Street South (27th Ave South to 31st Ave South); 26th Ave South and 6th St South (5th St South to 27th Ave South); Sylvan Heights (25th Ave South, 26th Ave South, 3A, 4th & 5th St South); Industrial Road 2 (Industrial Road 3 to Industrial Road F); 2nd St South (Victoria Ave to 24th Ave South); 4th St South (8th Ave South to 11th Ave South); 29th Ave South (3rd St South to 7th St South, gravel surface); 27A Ave South (3rd St South to 7th St South, gravel surface).

 

Cranbrook Daily Townsman