Portage to spend $1.1-M in road improvements

The City of Portage la Prairie has given the green light for more than $1 million in road and sidewalk improvements.

Councillors awarded tender to Maple Leaf Construction Ltd. for $1,176,231 to repave eight city streets and two sidewalks over the next two years.

City staff have analyzed all our streets to pick the ones that are most in need of and most cost efficient to overlay at this time, said transportation committee chair Coun. Brent Froese, adding most of the funding is coming from the general reserve fund and provincial grants.

The following streets will be worked on over the next two years: 20th Street S.W. ($57,560 of which half is expected to be paid through provincial grants); 8th Street N.W. ($24,329 with the city paying $5,858 and rest awaiting approval of a 2014 Grant in Aid submission for $12,612); 3rd Street N.E. ($63,300 with the city paying $19,333 and rest awaiting approval of a 2014 Grant in Aid submission for $24,632); 5th Street S.E. ($110,471 of which the city will pay only $33,483 with the balance covered by the province); 7th Street N.E. ($44,428 with the city splitting the costs equally with the province); 1st Street N.W. (parking lanes) ($39,363 split equally between the city and the province); and Fisher Avenue E ($54,275); Saskatchewan Avenue W. sidewalk paving at the railway ($3,825).

Also under construction will be a new road on Park Drive ($351,769 with the city paying $208,258 with the difference funded by the province) and a Park Drive walking path ($55,025).

This is being tendered at a two year project rather than a single year project. That is, in part, to do the work more efficiently and in part to take advantage of two years worth of grants, said Froese.

During the first year, $52,000 will be used for the construction of a paved walking path and $20,000 for the rail crossing, new signals and light standard ($24,150), and a salvaged rubber mat installation by CPR (about $5,000). For the road, land drainage, excavation, and base work will be completed.

For 2015, base work, curb and gutter, asphalt pavement, boulevarding/ditching, street lighting, and water and sewer servicing ($42,400), will be completed.

The 2014 capital budget includes $902,000 for the full construction of Park Drive, with $100,000 to be paid as local improvement by property owners.

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Portage to spend $1.1-M in road improvements