The stability of Lakeshore Drive once again slid into city budget deliberations.
Council agreed to proceed with a slope stabilization design for Lakeshore Drive in the 2020 budget. The area between 10th and 20th avenues has been in the spotlight in the past.
Rob Niewenhuizen, director of engineering and public works, explained that a geotechnical engineer would provide the city with a design and costs.
Coun. Debbie Cannon asked if the stabilization design would be looking at a two-lane road, adding that she favours one lane.
“We’re looking at stabilizing the road so it won’t slide into the railway tracks,” Niewenhuizen replied, adding that there are options to get the right-of-way to move farther away from the slope.
Niewenhuizen said the design would come up with the best option for slope stability.
Read more: City taking precautions against land slippage on Lakeshore Drive
Read more: Upgrades sought for Lakeshore Drive
Coun. Kevin Flynn suggested another possibility involving Lakeshore.
“We talk about Lakeshore a lot,” he remarked, before asking that with growth in the area, are there alternatives for getting into town. He said perhaps 45th Avenue NE to 30th Street would be a good alternative for upper Lakeshore.
Flynn said he hoped council would support a budget request from five residents for improvements to 45th between 25th and 30th streets.
He asked about the proposal to pave each end of 45th and leave the middle.
Niewenhuizen said it would be an interim measure. He said 45th is designated a rural road, and rural roads aren’t paved. He said as traffic increases, the road is on staff’s radar, but “it is rural and we have a lot of others.”
Mayor Alan Harrison suggested paving 45th from 30th down, instead of both ends.
Coun. Chad Eliason said staff have a strategic plan for paving and priority areas, and he would defer to staff by doing a road that probably needs upgrading because it might fail. He reiterated that 45th Avenue NE is a rural road.
Couns. Debbie Cannon and Louise Wallace-Richmond expressed similar sentiments.
Coun. Sylvia Lindgren said she feels the opposite. She said staff are saying it’s something on their radar to be done at some point, and it might alleviate the cost of dust control.
The request for improvements to 45th Avenue NE was not approved, with only Harrison, Flynn and Lindgren voting in favour.
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