The Village of Burns Lake is planning to spend approximately $640,000 to repave several stretches of road in 2020.
Although council is expected to make a final decision by the spring with respect to which streets should be repaved, village staff is recommending the following sections:
– First Avenue, from Hwy. 16 to Centre Street, at an estimated cost of $70,000;
– Second Avenue, from Hwy. 16 to Centre Street, at an estimated cost of $130,000;
– Third Avenue, from Hwy. 16 to Centre Street, at an estimated cost of $100,000;
– Fourth Avenue, from Hwy. 16 to Centre Street, at an estimated cost of $170,000;
– And lower Fifth Avenue, in front of the new triplex, at an estimated cost of $40,000.
Council has also asked village staff to look at the cost of sidewalks, said Sheryl Worthing, the village’s chief administrative officer, adding staff is expected to present that information to council in January.
The village’s annual budget for repaving projects used to be about $160,000, but it increased significantly after 2018. The municipality budgeted approximately $800,000 to repave streets in 2019.
These projects are being funded by the village’s gas tax and Comfor reserves and the Northern Capital Planning Grant (NCPG).
The village received $3.4 million in March for its share of the NCPG, a $100 million grant from the province to northern local governments to help with infrastructure needs.
READ MORE: Burns Lake gets $3.4 million in infrastructure grant
The village also budgets about $50,000 annually for road surface patching and crack sealing.
In 2019, an additional $54,000 was budgeted to catch up on crack sealing — bringing the total budget to $104,000 — but only about $60,000 was spent.
The remaining $40,000, said Worthing, will be carried forward to the 2020 budget — bringing the total budget for road surface patching and crack sealing to $90,000.
Road segments that received upgrades in 2019 include Eighth Avenue, from Center Street to Carroll Street; Francois Lake Drive, from Hwy. 35 to 10 metres north of Railway Avenue; Pioneer Way, from Francois Lake Drive to Hwy. 35; First Avenue, from the point of 10 metres up from Centre Street for about 85 metres; and Fourth Avenue, from Centre Street for 90 metres.
Between 2021 and 2024, the village expects to spend approximately $400,000 a year on repaving projects, but these numbers are still subject to change, said Worthing.
