Columbia Street work set to begin

NEWS/ CITY — Traffic Fun Part 2 gets underway later this month when work starts on the Columbia Street widening project.

The project will be more expensive than thought, but City council will be asked Tuesday to approve the awarding of a $2.675-million construction contract to B.A. Dawson Blacktop Ltd. The company’s bid was the lowest of three received.

Including utility relocations, property acquisition, landscaping, contingencies and other costs, the work will come in at $4.795 million compared to the original budget of $3.9 million. The extra money will come from an increase in development cost charges and from the arterial road program budget.

“Due to the complexity of the project and, specifically, the complexity and extent of the work required by third-party utilities, the lowest tender price brings the project costs above the total available budget,” says a report to council.

The start of the project later in May or early in June puts it on a collision course with the rehab of Overlanders Bridge, already causing considerable traffic congestion. The Columbia Street project was originally scheduled for last year but was delayed to coincide with construction work at Royal Inland Hospital.

The street widening includes the addition of left-turn bays at Third, Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Avenues and the closure of the Second Avenue median, plus signal and lighting improvements, pedestrian upgrades and concrete medians.

UPDATE: City council approved the project Tuesday.