Westsyde Road, Overlanders Bridge projects get go-ahead

Posted on July 29, 2014 in City Hall // 0 Comments

NEWS/ CITY HALL — Westsyders could face much-awaited road delays due to upgrades within a couple of weeks.

City utilities director Jenn Fretz told council the project will take three to four weeks to complete.

City council approved Tuesday awarding a $1.61-million contract to rehabilitate five kilometres of Westsyde Road to B.A. Dawson Blacktop Ltd.

B.A. Dawson was the lowest of two bidders for the contract. The other bid was from Dawson Construction Ltd. at $1.93 million.

Westsyde Road is on the City’s arterial road roster. The roadwork is slated to be done Mondays to Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. for the southbound lane and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the northbound lane.

Westsyde residents and businesses will be given at least one week’s notice before the construction begins.

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City photo shows need for work on Overlanders Bridge.

City council has approved a $9.3-million loan to repair the Overlanders Bridge and the sidewalk along its west side.

Council beefed up its previous $6-million approval of the bridge repair that was made during the spring budget process by adding another $3.3 million to include the sidewalk work.

City utilities director Jenn Fretz said Tuesday the plan includes paving of the approach roads, concrete repairs, new waterproofing membrane, paving, and on the sidewalk and concrete corbel repairs.

The total cost is $9.42 million, which includes the loan of $9.3 million.

With council’s approval, staff will now prepare a borrowing bylaw. The loan will be subject to the alternative approval process, whereby residents who oppose the borrowing can gather a petition to put it to a referendum or nix the project altogether.

If that process doesn’t halt or slow the project, it will go to planning in fall, drawings in winter and out to tender by January 2015. Construction could start next spring.

The bridge repair includes about 12,000 square metres of surface. With 42,000 vehicles crossing the bridge every day, traffic considerations are being looked at.

Fretz said night work will be looked at as an option to reduce the amount of driver frustration.